"Chef" James A. Preszler

There will be a celebration of James life Wednesday, May 24, 2023 at the Runge Mortuary & Crematory Davenport, IA. Social time will be held 6:00pm to 7:30 pm with Eulogies to be given at 7:30pm. Condolences may be shared at www.rungemortuary.com.

From a young age, James was drawn to the culinary world. James graduated from the Culinary Institute of America on June 1, 1990, and began a long career as a chef. That moniker stuck, and from then on James was known by many simply as Chef.

Chef worked at multiple country clubs across the midwest before settling in for 20 years at Davenport Country Club in Pleasant Valley, IA. Over the years he served as a mentor for the ProStart program at Davenport Central High School where he mentored high school students interested in cooking. In 2013, Chef left DCC to pursue his dream of becoming his own boss. He eventually purchased Cafe Express in Davenport and had a renewed love for preparing food. Always one to be on the cusp of new innovations in the culinary arts, Chef decided to open a community kitchen where tenants could rent time in an upscale, professional grade, fully equipped kitchen. Chez Prez Community Kitchen was born and was James’ pride and joy.

Chef continued to cater, help his Chez Prez kitchen tenants, and masterfully cook for those near and dear to him. He loved a good cookout with his friends where he could man the grill, sip a cocktail, and weave the best stories you have ever heard. Those that were fortunate enough to be entertained by his storytelling can attest to the fact that most stories ended up on a tangent and could take days to get back on track. Chef’s sense of humor, love for his family and friends, and generosity were unmatched.

Chef enjoyed traveling, the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Los Angeles Rams, cars, movies, meticulously caring for his lawn and garden, his favorite band Iron Maiden (who he saw in concert 17 times all over the world), and spending time with those closest to him. James loved traveling with his mother, Rita, until her untimely passing in 2015 of cancer. James and his brother, Doug, embarked on some adventurous travels in past years, and a highlight was eating their way across France at some of the top restaurants in the world.

James was preceded in death by his parents, Rita and Jay Preszler. Those left to honor his memory include his brother, Doug, of Davenport; four aunts in South Dakota and one in Texas; multiple cousins; many friends; hundreds that James mentored over the years in the culinary world; and his beloved dog Addie.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Jose Andres’ World Central Kitchen (wck.org) with whom James planned on volunteering, or the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (pancan.org) in remembrance of James’ mother, Rita Preszler.