Jim was born in LaPorte, Indiana on May 22, 1956, the youngest of four children. He lost a year-long battle with cancer on December 5, 2022. Jim leaves behind his loving wife Betsy, two children, Katherine and Jonathan (Danielle), and two sisters, Melodie Gatz and Linda (Chuck) Bowker. He was preceded in death by his parents, Violet and Henry, and his brother Jerry. He attended Purdue University from 1974 to 1975, then transferred to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY to attend architecture school. He became a registered architect in 1983 and worked on a wide variety of building and design projects on the East coast. Jim and Betsy were married in NYC, then relocated to Ann Arbor, MI where he worked at Hobbs+Black for 24 years, rising to the position of Senior Vice President. He served on the Ann Arbor Historic District Commission and was a member of the Vestry at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. He was a Cub Scout leader and coached youth sports. Later in his career, Jim worked on large building projects in Montreal, Las Vegas, and the Ford Motor Company research and development facility for electric vehicles (“The Hub”) in Dearborn, MI. In addition to his interests in gardening and horticulture, Jim believed strongly in teamwork, developing young people’s potential, and mentoring upcoming professionals. He discussed complex topics in plain English, often with humor. He sought resolution to many of life’s challenges through an understanding of mathematics, history, and human psychology. 

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, December 27, 2022, at Nie Family Funeral Home, 3767 W. Liberty Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48103 from 4–8 p.m. A funeral service will be the following day, Wednesday, December 28, 2022, at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church of Ann Arbor, 306 N. Division St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104, starting at 11 a.m.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church of Ann Arbor or The Barbara LeClair Infusion Center at Trinity Health Ann Arbor.

Please visit niefuneralhomes.com for the full obituary and further instructions for donating to The Barbara LeClair Infusion Center.