James "Jim" P Riepenhoff Sr.

James P. “Jim” Riepenhoff, Sr., age 78, passed away peacefully at his home on October 1, 2025, after a battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his wife and children and was very blessed to also say goodbye to his grandchildren, other family, and friends in the moments before his passing.

He was born on June 22, 1947, in Wellston, Ohio, to Charlie and Nell Riepenhoff.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Charlie and Nell Riepenhoff; his sister Mary Lou Michael; his brother Jay Riepenhoff; his sisters-in-law JoAnne Ervin, Mary Turner, and “Becky” Skidmore; and brothers-in-law Fred Michael and Joe Turner.

He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Ann (Ervin) Riepenhoff; children: Bethany Ann (Larry) Sanford and Patrick (Tami) Riepenhoff; loving grandchildren: Larry “Trey” Sanford, III, Nicholas Sanford, Ella Sanford, Grant Riepenhoff, and Blake Riepenhoff; brother Charles “Chuck” (Susan) Riepenhoff; brother-in-law James “Jimmy” Ervin; sister-in-law Dorothy Riepenhoff; several nieces and nephews; numerous friends, including his supportive neighbors at The Villas of Rocky Fork; and his dog Emmie.

Jim graduated from Wellston High School in 1965. He then studied at Rio Grande University and subsequently graduated from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science.

While at Rio Grande, Jim met Ann Ervin from Jackson and declared after one date, “I’m going to marry that girl,” and from then on, life would never be the same. He and Ann eventually landed in Wellston after moving several times for Jim to return to the family business.

It could be argued that it would be difficult to find someone with such a broad resume of work and career variety, and as such, great stories that he loved to share with his grandchildren. In his younger years, Jim pumped gas, made bubbles at Michael’s ice cream, drove an ambulance at age 16 (apparently, people thought that was perfectly normal in 1963, even delivering a baby roadside), and had a gun pulled on him when he served as a credit collector for the local bank. After graduating from mortuary school, he and Ann lived in Duncan Falls and Athens while he completed his apprenticeships. Then he returned to Jackson County to work alongside his brother Jay as they succeeded their father, Charlie, in owning and operating Riepenhoff Distributing in Jackson.

After leaving the family business in 2001, he retired for about six months before he declared that there is only so much golf to play. He then served as a Jackson County Commissioner for two terms, relocated to Westerville to be closer to family, and walked into Jos. A Bank to buy a tie and walked out with a job. Lastly, he worked at Huntington Bank in New Albany, OH, where he established himself as a somewhat local celebrity. During his time at Huntington, he and his son Patrick were fortunate to see each other daily since they were in the same building, a priceless fringe benefit for them both.

He was always involved in several community organizations, particularly in Jackson County, where he was a member of the Jaycees, the Elks, Saints Peter and Paul parish in Wellston, and many others. He and his brother Jay were honored to serve as grand marshals for the Jackson County Apple festival, even getting the Budweiser Clydesdale team to allow them to ride on the wagon during the parade. He was also one of the first people to donate to local causes and attend almost every charity spaghetti dinner he could. He was also a supporter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, for which he hosted a golf tournament annually to help support. An event he looked forward to every year. He was also the president of the Wholesale Beer and Wine Association of Ohio and a director of the National Beer Wholesalers Association.

Even with all the variety of life, at the end of the day, Jim’s family was the absolute center of his world. He was a devoted husband to Ann and worshiped the ground she walked on. He adored his children and grandchildren, attending countless sporting events and activities for his grandchildren, doing so until he just physically couldn’t do it any longer. He will be greatly missed by them all.

The family will receive friends and loved ones on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at Schoedinger Margarum Northeast, 1051 E Johnstown Rd., Gahanna, Ohio, from 6:00-8:00 pm. Visitation is also scheduled for Wednesday, October 8, 2025, from 10:00 am to noon at Mayhew Brown Funeral Home, 135 Broadway St., Jackson, Ohio. Mass of Christian Burial will immediately follow the October 8th visitation at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Jackson, with his friend Father Leo Connolly presiding. The family will hold a private burial at Mt. Calvary Catholic Cemetery on a future date. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of The Cremeens-King Funeral Homes in Gallipolis, with Jim’s friend Jay Cremeens helping coordinate Jim’s final wishes.

Online condolences can be sent to the family via [http://www.cremeensfuneralhomes.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.cremeensfuneralhomes.com](http://www.cremeensfuneralhomes.com). In lieu of flowers, the family asks you to consider donating in Jim’s memory to the Muscular Dystrophy Association at www.mda.org.