With gratitude for a life so richly lived, we celebrate Lou Ann Juanita James (née Goetz), who died on October 28, 2026, in Red Bud, Illinois, at the age of 80. Born on December 16, 1945, in Belleville, Illinois, Lou Ann James built a life marked by learning, service, and deep connections with family and community. She graduated from Belleville Township High School and earned a Bachelor of Science in secondary education from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, preparing for a career devoted to sharing knowledge and preserving stories. She began her professional life as an English teacher and library director in Pontiac/William Holliday School District 105. She later spent thirty-eight years with the Belleville Public Library, where she retired as Family and Local History Archives Director. Through that work, she helped preserve local records and made a lasting contribution to the understanding of the community's history.
Lou Ann shared her life with her husband, Bill James, and was the mother of Charlie James and Christine James Begley. Her family also includes Charlie's wife, Sarah; Christine's husband, Ben; and her grandchildren, Truth, Wini, Juno, and Lily. She was preceded in death by her father, Quido Goetz, and her mother, Lucille Goetz.
Her life was brightened by the pleasures she loved most: genealogy, travel, Cardinal baseball, and old movies, especially musicals. She loved to laugh and took particular joy in Cardinal baseball. She was also a member of St. Paul United Church of Christ in Belleville. Lou Ann leaves a legacy woven through classrooms, library shelves, historical records, and the lives of those who knew her. Her years of dedication to education, libraries, and local history remain a meaningful gift, and her life is remembered with appreciation, pride, and celebration.
A visitation for Lou Ann will be held on Monday, November 2, 2026, starting at 10:00 AM followed by a funeral service at 12:30 PM at Lake View Funeral Home, 5000 N. Illinois St. Fairview Heights, IL.
Lou Ann will be laid to rest immediately following services at Lake View Memorial Gardens.
Memorial contributions can be made to Belleville Public Library 121E. Washington St. Belleville IL. 62220. https://www.belleville.net/350/library or St. Louis Children's Hospital Foundation in Honor of Wini James. https://stlouischildrenslegacy.org
