Wildon James Metz

Wildon James Metz (Jim) passed away February 19, 2020 in Littleton, Colorado. He was 94.

Jim was born on March 24, 1925 to Christian Metz and Mary (Winger) Metz near Paxton, Illinois, which is 100 miles south of Chicago. His parents were farmers, and growing up he helped work the farm and attended grade school in a one-room school house near his home. He attended high school in Paxton, graduating in 1943. Upon graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps, and experienced the world in a way he never dreamed of growing up. After never traveling more than 50 miles from home as a child, Jim was stationed at various locations across the U.S. including Miami Beach, south Texas and Hawaii. In 1945, at age 20, he was deployed to the Pacific Theater as a crew member on the B-24 Liberator. He completed nine bombing missions over Japan. Jim spoke in later years of how the war greatly changed the trajectory of his life.

After the war, Jim settled in Chicago and attended Northwestern University on the GI Bill. He graduated with a degree in Business Finance, and remained in Chicago to work for and eventually become president of the Mortgage Bankers Association of America. He traveled often for work, almost always by train. He found traveling the country to be an interesting and enjoyable experience at that point in his life. In 1956, Jim moved to Denver to take a job with a mortgage banking firm. Shortly after arriving, he met the love of his life, Marilyn Cooper, who had also just arrived in Denver to teach junior high school. They were married on December 22, 1957, and three children followed. Jim enjoyed his career in finance and commercial real estate lending until his retirement in 1988. During retirement, he oversaw a family business, enjoyed gardening, painting, traveling the world with Marilyn, and spending a lot of time with his grandsons, who were the joy of his life, and he the joy of theirs. He served with Gideons International and volunteered at a local food bank for many years, was active in church, and also worked with Habitat for Humanity. He followed politics and world events closely and always enjoyed a good discussion of the issues with his children and grandchildren. Jim will be remembered for his wisdom, generosity, creativity, incredible work ethic, and his deep faith.

He is survived by his son Greg Metz (Mary) of Scottsdale, Arizona, daughter Gretchen Sanford (Kent) of Littleton, Colorado, daughter Carolyn Metz of Englewood, Colorado, and two grandsons Christian and Mark Sanford of Littleton, Colorado. Also surviving are two sisters, Polly Saathoff of Blacksburg, Virginia, Kathryn Blackford of Danville, Illinois, and a brother, Lester Metz of Minneapolis, Minnesota, as well as many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife Marilyn Cooper Metz (December 2014), and brothers Aaron Metz, Charleston, West Virginia and Martin Metz, Boise, Idaho.

Greg, Gretchen and Carolyn would like to extend a special thank you to Ann Setser, who was Jim’s caregiver the last three years of his life. She cared for him as if he were her own father. Her dedication to him made his life more comfortable, and ours as well. We had peace of mind knowing she was watching over him.