Jim with his family were neighbors on Killarney Beach in Bay City. He was always kind and friendly to those of us younger ones.  Condolences to his family

I have known Jim since 1954, and we are very sorry to hear of his passing.  From the beach, to playing softball, to DeMolay. to busing tables at Consistory Reunions, to SAD at Ferris, to a great career at Meijer's   A good friend who will be missed by many.  
Bob & Emma Huskins - Auburn, Michigan

I was Jim’s Administrative Assistant before I retired from Meijer.  Jim was always  so kind.  When I first started in the Specialist Office, I wasn’t quite sure how to take Jim but it didn’t take long to appreciate his dry sense of humor.  Even after I retired from Meijer, I would run into Jim when he was making his rounds in Greenville.  He always took the time to sit and chat and never failed to give me a hug before leaving.  May he now Rest In Peace with Lorraine.

Jim and  I worked together for many of his Meijer years. He was a very valuable help in our department. We were responsible for helping teach new department managers how to run a profitable department, and helped open new stores as part of that responsibility. I personally enjoyed his dry sense of humor and his  ability to accomplish many different parts of his job.
My sympathy  in your loss.
Leon Ballast  

Sympathy to Jim’s surviving family. 

I first met Jim when he was a Specialist and visited old Store#24/S. Pennsylvania, Lansing. 

I was the Service Manager at that time, and whenever Jim would go to coffee with the manager he was visiting that day, and would invite me to have coffee with them. 

A great Meijer employee who knew the business. It was great to get to know him, see him at the retiree luncheons. 

Jim was a great friend to many, and will be missed. 

With sadness,

Tim Nowak

I worked with Jim for many years at Meijer.  He was a treat to work with.  Had a dry sense of humor, and really knew his part of the business.  Everyone got along with Jim, and he was always calm and pleasant, even under stressful circumstances.  I talked to him every few months.  We would talk about our time at work, and his trips to the cabin.  He would drive from Lansing to Grand Rapids to attend our retirement luncheons, and see some of his old friends.  

Sending prayers of comfort and strength to his family as they remember him.

If I could one more time, I would check in on him and share a meal, offer to share a seat at the summer sunset, and thank him again for keeping an eye on everything going on in our tiny neighborhood at Crystal. He was so genuinely positive and a responsible overseer. An honest, kind man who will be truly missed. May he be forever in the presence of Jesus as one of his most reliable image-bearers.  My condolences to his special friends, his family, and to the Crystal Heights Association.

Melissa Pearson

Jim and I became much closer to Jim since Lorraine passed away.  He spent both Thanksgiving and Christmas at our house this past year, and as others have said, he enjoyed being around people and just sat back and took it all in.  He referred to Jim as his chef because he took him a homemade meal once a week.  He called me his nurse.  He was a kind gentle man and our family will miss him.  

Jim recognized and often spoke to just how lucky we are to have Crystal Lake.  I will always admire him speaking to how important it is that we are part of a peaceful community,.  He was funny.  He was always so genuine in whatever the topic was of the day..  Our community loved him, and he will be missed.  We were lucky to have him indeed!

We had a fall festival this past fall. It was our Harvest Festival. The picture above honors our elders. Jim of course was and always be part of our family

Jim was a neighbor of ours at Crystal Lake. I think it was the 60's when he owned our house. Everything we did to fix, update, or anything he always stopped and loved what we did. 
I will Miss you very much Jim. Tell lorraine hi for us

Not the best picture, but it’s very “Jim” to be sitting on his deck. 

We had so many good “regular” times with Jim. He was great to just sit and chat with. He seemed to always be able to keep conversation going, in a non-forced way. He just naturally was good at that.

Two things we noticed about him:
He rarely talked badly about others. I’ll admit I gave him some bait a few times, and he did not do it. He knew how to swing the conversation differently and redirect. He was just so good at that. 

He valued family. He loved our family, and he loved their family gatherings. He loved just watching us get together and enjoy each other. He’d sit on his deck and take it all in. 

It won’t be the same at the cottage without Jim. There was something so comforting about having him next door. He took such pride in his place up there, and we loved seeing his truck roll in every Thursday in the summer.

Rest In Peace, good friend.

Jim was our “neighbor at the lake.”  We quickly bonded. He was a phenomenal human being. Anytime he asked for assistance with something, it was usually followed up with “would you like a beer?”

Our many conversations were more reminiscent of the book Tuesday with Morrie. Except Tuesdays were weekends and Morrie was Jim.  

Jim was so gracious to our young kids that would wander curiously over to his yard. I would go over to apologize, but to my surprise, my kids would have a snack in hand, and Jim would have a smile. He always said how much he loved to see them playing. 

He would allow them to sled down onto his property, play ball in his backyard, and many villains were captured on his property as well. 

When we would tell our kids to get their gym shoes on, our youngest thought that meant his “Jim” shoes. We were going to see our bud!

Jim was always kind to our family. He found an antique (that we have in our kitchen as we speak) that he gifted to my wife for her photography studio. He spent his time and money for a personalized sign for us that is also displayed proudly. 

Last year I took my hometown crew up ice fishing and we stopped and had a beer with Jim. We just talked about doing it again. I’m saddened it won’t happen, but I am thinking we may have one in his memory.

Jim was my buddy and I’ll miss him greatly.  I can’t imagine a kinder man to have as a neighbor. To all of his family; thanks for sharing him with us. Much love from the Feldpausch’s. 

We are so saddened to learn of Jim's passing. He was a good neighbor and became a lifelong friend of ours. While he would joke of his need to call "1-800 call Paul" - for help with anything mechanical, he and I (Kim) would have deep conversations about Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit.

It is my hope that Jim is riding his pontoon in heaven with Jesus. Our prayers go out to Lorraine's boys and your families.

OBITUARY

James M. King

22 March, 1940 – 2 January, 2023

Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes

Show your support

Add a Memory

Share Obituary

Get Reminders

Services