James Richard Scales

James Scales moved to heaven peacefully in his sleep on the evening of September 23, 2025. He was 83 years old.

James, known to family and friends as Jim, was born on October 29, 1941, in Scottsburg, Indiana to Mildred and Gilbert Scales. His birth was followed shortly by that of his twin brother, Jerry. The Scales family moved to Bloomington in 1945 after World War II. Jim and Jerry graduated from Bloomington High School in 1960. An avid outdoorsman and frontier life enthusiast, Jim called beautiful Brown County his home from 1969 until his passing.

He married Julie Scales in 1985. They built a log cabin home in Nashville and had a daughter, Cassie in 1986. Although they divorced in 1991, Jim and Julie remained close, loving family throughout his life.

Jim served in the Army National Guard from 1963 to 1969 and was awarded Jungle Expert Certificate after training in Panama in 1967.

He and his brother worked as tile and marble setters for over 50 years and traveled all over the country for their work. They travelled to Hawaii several times for work, a highlight of the job for Jim, who loved to swim.

Jim also enjoyed traveling to car shows locally and throughout the western U.S. He built and sold 21 “hot rods” throughout his life. He and Jerry first drove their corvette(s) to California in 1962 and continued this tradition for many years after their retirement. His favorite cars were 1932 Ford Hi Boys. He even drove his daughter and her friends to their junior prom in one beautiful blue 1932 sedan.

Jim was a talented craftsman of handmade wooden boxes and fine leather goods. He spent many years selling and trading his goods at rendezvous and historic reenactments, where he would gather with friends and enjoy contests in archery and shooting muzzleloaders.

He was gifted with carpentry skills and could fix just about any problem that might arise in his home or on his property; he was always able to find interesting solutions or create something new. He was an animal lover and always had a faithful dog by his side. Typically, he had a German Shepherd companion but also raised a Newfoundland Dog and just before his passing, an Irish Wolfhound. His laughter, sarcasm, and quick wit will be deeply missed by those who loved him.

Jim is survived by his brother Jerry of Nashville, IN; his daughter, Cassie, of Edwards, CO; his former wife, Julie, of Vail, CO; his nephew Dan, and great nephews Brandan (Spencer) and Kyle (Erika).

A visitation for James will be held Thursday, October 2, 2025, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Christiansburg Cemetery, 7375 E Christiansburg Rd, Columbus, IN 47201, followed by a funeral service at 12:00 PM also at the cemetery.

James will be laid to rest in Christiansburg Cemetery, 7375 E Christiansburg Rd, Columbus, Indiana 47201.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Sycamore Land Trust; whose mission is to preserve the beauty, health, and diversity of southern Indiana’s natural landscape through strategic land conservation and environmental education.