James John Deneui

James John DeNeui (Jim) of Port Hueneme, California passed away on Thursday, May 1, 2025, at the age of 92. He was born on January 18, 1933 in River Grove, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. There he grew up with his father (a Baptist minister), mother and six siblings. In 1947 his family moved to South Dakota, where his father pastored a church in the Black Hills town of Hill City. It was here that Jim graduated from high school.

In 1951, Jim joined the U.S. Marine Corps. He was sent to Korea where he saw combat around the village of Panmunjom during the last six months of the war. Once the truce between North and South Korea was signed, Jim spent the rest of his tour in Korea as the in-country driver and bugler for General “Chesty” Puller.

After three years in the Marines, Jim was honorably discharged and moved to Los Angeles. From 1954 to 1964 he worked for L.A. Airways, a company that flew passengers and cargo on helicopters around the L.A. area. He married Pauline Evelyn Carlson DeNeui and they had two children, Gregg Edward and Mark Wendell. They moved to the L.A. suburb of Torrance, then later to Redondo Beach.

Jim’s family attended Community Baptist Church in Manhattan Beach, CA. Jim taught children’s Sunday School and was a leader of the elementary-age Sunday Night youth group. He sang bass in the church choir and served as a church deacon. Jim and Pauline were active members of the Crusaders Sunday School class.

From 1966 to 1988 Jim was an officer with the Manhattan Beach, CA, Police Department (MBPD), retiring with the rank of Lieutenant. During these 22 years he served as a Patrol Officer, then as a Detective working juvenile, robbery and burglary, once promoted to Sergeant, Jim was in charge of the K-9’s, Field Training Officers, and DUI team. He developed the department’s SWAT team and was team Commander for 10 years. He was also appointed Department Chaplin.

In 1976 Jim graduated from Cal State University Dominguez Hills with a bachelor’s degree in public administration. After his time with the MBPD, Jim went on to work as Director of Security, first for the Manhattan Village Mall and later for the First Interstate tower in downtown Los Angeles.

Jim married Elizabeth Hoffman DeNeui (Liz) in 1995. They moved to Hill City, SD, where Jim had spent his high school years. They later moved to Oxnard, CA, then Port Hueneme, CA. They were involved in a local church there, and Jim was a member of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post and worked as a security guard at a medical office building in Oxnard.

Jim is preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Florence DeNeui, older siblings, Henry Jr. and Betty, a younger sister, Ruth, and his first wife, Pauline.

He is survived by his wife, Liz, younger siblings Dorothy, Douglas and Grace, sons Gregg (wife, Audrey) DeNeui and Mark (wife, Lisa) DeNeui, grandchildren Luc, Matthew, Alison, Scott, Anne and Lenore, and great-grandson, Jacob.

Among Jim’s papers was a short autobiography that covered the first sixty years of his life. In it, he thanks his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the many blessings he experienced on this earth.

The family would like to thank Tony and Kirsten Hoffman (Liz’s son and daughter-in-law) for the care and compassion they showed to Jim in his final days.

Family and friends will be invited to attend a Celebration of Life service on the weekend of August 9-10, 2025. Details to follow.