James Earl Cornell

He was born in Clare, Michigan on March 17, 1963 and was preceded in death by his parents George LaVerne Cornell and Joyce Carol Stillwagon. He married Della Becker on August 22, 1987 and has lived happily with her for over 32 years. Jim worked at Benteler Automotive for nearly 30 years before starting at MP Components in Byron Center recently. Besides his wife, Della Becker-Cornell, he is survived by his two daughters Kristina “Kristy” and Kyle Jacobs; Kayla and Alex Benda; and his sister Deborah and Eric Seymour.

He loved to build various models, design train layouts, and utilize the laser and 3D printer. He took great pride in his work as an automotive design engineer. He especially enjoyed deep sea fishing and traveling around the USA with his family and enjoyed telling stories with them around the campfire. He was also a fan of Dilbert, had a long-time love of woodworking, and could always be found listening to audiobooks or music in his spare time.

There will be an intimate gathering to remember Jim on Sunday afternoon on January 26, and those interested may contact his immediate family. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any contribution be given to them to fulfill his final wishes.

He often said, “welcome to my world” and those who knew him were happy to be a part of it.