JAMES RICHARD LITZSINGER, age 81, died April 19, 2021 at Bridgewater Healthcare Center in Carmel, Indiana. Jim was born October 31, 1939 to Orville F. Litzsinger and Irma Krisay Litzsinger in St. Louis, Missouri. He was an accomplished baseball player in Brentwood, Missouri and graduated from Brentwood High School as class president in 1957. Jim continued his education at the University of Missouri, where he graduated with BS and MS degrees in Industrial Engineering in 1963. While at Mizzou, Jim was a member of Tau Beta Pi honorary engineering fraternity, president of the Gamma Mu chapter of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, catcher on the Mizzou Tigers baseball team, and annually involved with the Savitar Frolics. He was hired by Eli Lilly & Co., in Indianapolis, where he worked for 35 years as an Industrial Engineer in various capacities and was very involved with Junior Achievement. During the 1970s Jim was president of the Carmel Planning Commission and was instrumental in the initial planning that facilitated the later growth of the city of Carmel, Indiana. He was a member of Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis and the Carmel United Methodist Church in Carmel. He was a little league baseball coach for First Baptist baseball and Carmel Dad’s Club and was an avid follower of Indianapolis Youth Hockey and local theater productions. Jim spent much of his time in retirement volunteering for the Sertoma Club of Broad Ripple where he helped raise donations for Noble of Indiana. Jim was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Colonel OJ (Nip) Litzsinger. He is survived by his son Christian James Litzsinger, daughter Sarah Elizabeth Litzsinger, daughter-in-law Kristina Krieg Litzsinger, grandchildren John Christian Litzsinger and Katherine (Kate) Rose Litzsinger, sister-in-law Elaine Shepard Litzsinger, along with four nieces, a nephew and their families. “Keep your eye on the ball!”
A private ceremony will be held at the Carmel Cemetery with a public celebration of life to be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers please donate to Junior Achievement at https://jausa.ja.org/ or Noble of Indiana at www.mynoblelife.org.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.leppertmortuarycarmel.com for the Litzsinger family.
