He was the loving husband of 40 years to Nancy Marie (Conroy) Stone.
He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings, Walter (Patricia Ellen), Eddie M., Garry, Bonnie Lindow, Anita Stevens and Wanda (Frank) Losh. Jim will join his good fishing buddy Max Smith in the big boat in the sky.
He will be lovingly remembered by his wife Nancy; children, “Mickey” Michelle (Steve) Ezzo, Jimmie Wayne, and Nanette Stone; his grandchildren, Celeste and Joseph Ezzo, Stephannie (Ryan) Gordon and James Stone, Ruben and Sophia Pena; great granddaughters Audrey, Mia, Ryan and Emmerson Gordon; brother, Jack (Patricia M. Ryan-Stone); brothers-in-law, Wayne Lindow, Ron Conroy and Jim (Laurie) Conroy; sister-in-law, Mary Stone; many nieces and nephews; special cousins, Barb Collins and Chet Collins of Gaylord, Michigan; special friends, Pat “Ronnie” O’Toole and Kate “Richard” Davis; Sugar his rescue dog.
Jim and Nancy retired together on the same day in 1993 from the General Motors Material Parts Warehouse UAW Local # 1753. They retired to Hernando, Florida where they lived in the winters for 25 years. Jim missed his Dominoes Group in Florida since returning to Lansing a few years ago. They spent their summers at Gaylord on Ranger Lake where they had built a cabin in 1980. Jim was known for treating his visitors up north to homemade ice cream. Jim’s dream of teaching his grandchildren how to fish came to life at the cabin. Jim’s hobbies were hunting, fishing, camping, cake decorating, painting a miniature Christmas village, and fixing broken stuff. He had a passion for flowers from planting them and watching them bloom to picking out bouquets for Nancy. He was a smart and talented man.
Our father was a single dad for many years, raising 3 teenagers alone; he did a great job and gave us memories along the way. Jim kept his children in the Waverly School District from kindergarten through graduation living in the same neighborhood he grew up in. He passed his love of camping onto his children and would often chaperone campouts with his children and oodles of their friends. He taught his kids to be independent in part by having them shop, pack and cook on these campouts. He introduced his children to Nancy by having her join in on The Campouts and fun times were to follow. Jimmie was shade tree mechanics helping others work on their cars.
Earlier in his life he was employed by Kwast Bakeries where he learned the craft of cake decorating, making birthday cakes and wedding cakes to give to friends and relatives. If you needed help, Jim was the man to call.
He built a great life with Nancy, including his dream trip to Hawaii. They traveled the U.S. in their motorhome visiting the Grand Canyon and western states with their daughters in 1983. Jim loved being outdoors with his son, Little Jim, and they got the chance to go ice fishing one last time with this past winter.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
Services for Jimmie will a small private gathering for immediate family.
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