James Edward Bair

James E. Bair, 91, passed peacefully into the arms if his Lord and Savior on March 11, 2019 in Chandler, AZ. Mr. Bair was born in South Bend, Indiana and grew up in northern Indiana during the depression. He graduated from James Whitcomb Riley High School in South Bend in 1945, and joined the U.S. Navy, where he served as a petty officer on the U.S.S. Philippine Sea and the U.S.S. Severn for fours years. He met the love of his life, June E. Bair, in Washington D.C. while in the Navy and they were married on October 31, 1948. He graduated from Indiana Tech in 1952 with a bachelor degree in electrical engineering, and he graduated from Chrysler Institute in 1954 with a masters in engineering. During their 63 years of marriage, Jim and June lived in Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Kansas, and Arizona. June predeceased him in July 2012. In November 2013, Jim married Dorothy Greene, and in early 2019, she moved to assisted living in Oregon to be closer to her family.

Jim was an automotive engineer who specialized in automotive lighting before the modern era of LED and halogen lighting. He served faithfully in every local church where he was a member. He traveled extensively with his family, mostly in the U.S., and loved to drive his car. He enjoyed working with computers and experimenting with nutritional supplements. All who knew him enjoyed his dry sense of humor.

He was preceded in death by one sister, Barbara Hensler, and survived by two sisters, Joanne Hixenbaugh of Hemet, California, and Donella Lambert of Peewaukee, Wisconsin. He is also survived by his four children, Joel Bair and his wife Susan of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Jerilyn Romaine and her husband Jim of Bridgewater, New jersey, Jennifer Hendrix and her husband Richard of Chandler, Arizona, and Jamisue Johns and her husband Peter of Bailey, Colorado. Additionally, he leaves 10 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.

Interment will be held on April 26, 2019 at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix, Arizona, and a memorial service will be held at 11am on Saturday, April 27, 2019 at Grace Bible Church, 19280 North 99th Avenue, Sun City, Arizona 85373 with Pastor Bill Bjork officiating. Further memorial gatherings will be held in Indiana and Michigan in June 2019.

Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider donations in the memory of James Bair to Hospice of the Valley, 1510 E Flower St, Phoenix, AZ 85014, or to The Gideons International.