He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Donna Gail Kiening; his parents, James Simon and Mary Katherine Kiening; and his grandparents, William Bolie and Naomi Dromgoole Kiening.
Jim is survived by his children, James S. Kiening III and his wife, Sandra, of Victoria; Dr. Jennifer Kiening of Leander; and Nathan Kiening. He was a proud and loving grandfather to Allison, Natalie, and James S. Kiening IV, children of James and Sandra; Kate, Macy Guevara, and Wyatt Keen, children of Jennifer; and Nathan and Nicholas Kiening, children of Nathan.
He is also survived by his sister, Mary Hughes, of Houston; cousin, Carl English and his wife, Molly, of Lakeway; sister-in-law, Judy Duke, of San Antonio; several nieces and nephews; and his extended Bugmobiles family.
Jim lost both of his parents by the age of five. He and his sister, Mary, were raised by their grandparents in Runge, Texas, a small town he loved dearly.
Jim graduated from Runge High School in 1965 and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas A&I University in 1970. That same year, he married Donna, the love of his life.
After graduation, Jim began his career with Houston National Bank before moving to Victoria in 1977. He later worked for Victoria Bank and Trust until 1990, when he transitioned to CEO of National Bugmobiles, Inc. In 2001, he purchased Bugmobiles and remained a dedicated businessman, arriving at work every morning at 6:00 am until the time of his passing.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at First United Methodist Church, 407 N. Bridge Street, Victoria, Texas.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to the Donna G. Kiening Scholarship Fund at Victoria College, which honors Jim and Donna’s commitment to helping students pursue their educational goals.
