James Daniel Lentz, 81, of Summerfield, Florida, passed away at home Tuesday, December 26, 2023. He was born June 6, 1942 in St. Louis, Missouri to Curtis and Vivian (Stuart) Lentz. James was a veteran of the United States Air Force. He married the love of his life, Lana McGrew on June 2, 1993 in St. Louis, Missouri. James was the Lead design engineer at McDonnell Douglas. He built the first F-18 Hornet and loved it! He will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved him.
Surviving to cherish his memory include his wife, Lana Lentz; sons, Jimi Lentz, Daniel Lentz; step-daughters, Denys (Mark) Beach and Melissa (Jeff Hamann) Boone; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren; brother, Gary (Cindy) Lentz and sister, Joann Chapman.
A funeral service for James will be held on Thursday, January 4, 2024 at 10:30am at Lake View Funeral Home, 5000 N. Illinois St., Fairview Heights, IL 62208 with visitation from 9:00am until time of service. Interment will follow at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. Memorial contributions can be made to the American Parkinson’s Association or Dementia Society of America.
