He is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Annamarie (Perreault); son Richard (Sharon) McCaslin; brother Thomas (Pauley) McCaslin; grandchildren Jacob and Nellierae McCaslin; and great-grandson Paxton James McCaslin. Jim was heartbroken by the death of his son, James D. McCaslin Jr., grandson Justin H. McCaslin, and parents Ray and Nellie McCaslin.
Jim was born in Pontiac, Michigan on October 31, 1943. He proudly served in the U.S. Navy on the U.S.S. Kittyhawk and afterward returned to his family in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Jim worked as a cement truck and gravel train driver at Utica Trucking until his retirement in 2005. His most fulfilling role was that of devoted husband and proud father. He was affectionately known as Poppy by his grandchildren.
Jim was equal parts grit and sass and always ready to lend a helping hand or just the right tool when needed. He was an avid reader of military history, world history and biographies. He enjoyed hunting, gardening, and spending time up north in West Branch with family and friends. Jim was a fan of any sport, but U of M football always put him on his feet. Like his father before him and his son that survives him, ice cream and sweets were never far from reach.
He will be missed by his sisters-in-law Cecelia Ann (late Dayton) Arnett and Barbara (late Robert) Taylor and brother-in-law Edgar (Tonya) Perreault as well as many cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. Also preceded in death by parents-in-law Paul and Kathryn Perreault and brother-in-law Paul (late Virginia) Perreault.
Visitation will be held on Saturday August 20th, 2022 from 11 a.m. until the time of the memorial service at 2 p.m. at Pixley Funeral Home, located at 3530 Auburn Road in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Donations can be made to St. Jude's https://www.stjude.org/, American Cancer Society https://www.cancer.org/, or Alzheimers Association https://alz.org/gmc
