Jim Stuckey

James Dale Stuckey, 93 of Bloomington, formerly of Piper City, passed away at 3:20 am Friday May 1, 2020 at Advocate BroMenn Medical Center, Normal, Illinois. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Cremation rites will be accorded. Calvert & Metzler Memorial Home, Bloomington, IL is in charge of arrangements. Memorials may be made to Illinois Wesleyan University. James was born April 7, 1927 in Fairbury, Illinois, the son of Howard Sheldon Robinson Stuckey & Erma Dessie (Fitzgerald) Stuckey. He married Helenjean Lauterbach on Sept. 29, 1951 in Bushnell, Illinois. She preceded him in death in 2004. He later married Doloris E. (Thorndyke) Griffith on June 5, 2005 in Springfield, IL. She preceded him in death in 2013. He is survived by 3 children: Randy (Peggy) Stuckey, Charles (Jennifer) Stuckey & Beth (Greg Wolfe) Woodard-Wolfe; 15 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; 1 sister: Margery Arends; and several nieces and nephews. James was preceded in death by his parents, and 1 brother: Howard Drell-Stuckey. James graduated from Piper City High School in 1945, and served in the Army of the United States from 1946 to 1947. He attended Illinois Wesleyan University from 1947 to 1949, and the University of Illinois from 1949 to 1951, and received his bachelor's degree in 1951 in Agriculture. He was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, a membership he shared with his father, brother, and two sons. James farmed most of his life, living on the family farm in northern Ford County from the time he was 11 months old, until he moved to Rochester in 2005. He was the County Executive Director of the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service for Ford County from 1961 to 1972 and for Iroquois County from 1972 to 1992, when he retired with a total of 33 years of service to ASCS. He was honored with the Ford County Progressive Farmers Award in 1958, and was recognized by ASCS with a national distinguished service award in 1990, along with an ASCS state community service award, also in 1990. James was a dedicated servant to many public and private organizations. He served on the Piper City school board for 15 years, and on the Parkland College Board for 13 years, also serving on the steering committee to form the Parkland Community Junior College District. He was a loyal member of the Rotary Club of Piper City, serving multiple times as president and receiving the Paul Harris Fellowship designation. James was a long-time member of the United Presbyterian Church in Piper City, serving as a trustee, an elder, and a member of the choir. He also served on the board for the Piper City Home Guaranty Savings and Loan, the board of Greenbriar Nursing Home, and the Ford County Chapter of the American Cancer Society. In addition, he volunteered time for the Cooperative Extension Service and 4-H programs locally. Jim was an avid bridge player, but was unsuccessful in getting his children to follow in his footsteps, much to his chagrin. He loved putting together jigsaw puzzles, as well as doing crossword puzzles, and was proud of the fact that he once won the "Little Fooler" crossword competition from the Chicago Tribune. You could also find him doing Sudoku and word finder games. Jim loved boating, sailing, water skiing, and snow skiing, and relished introducing these sports to others. His boat trip down the Illinois River with his buddy Frank Livingston created stories still repeated today. He loved teaching kids to swim and ski and was tirelessly patient with them. Later in life, Jim took up bicycling and participated in several Illinois Ag in the Classroom Bicycle trips. He began building model airplanes and flew them with the Sangamon Valley RC Flyers. He also built a two-seater 2017 Zenith CH 701 airplane with a friend, In 2017, Jim moved to Westminster Village in Bloomington where he was a member of the Silver Cords vocal group, competed in the bridge tournament, attended exercise class multiple times a week, volunteered to call bingo, and worked in the woodshop. Since plans cannot be made for in-person gatherings at this time, please go to the following address to share your memories of Jim: https://www.gatheringus.com/memorial/jim-stuckey/3416. When we can all shake hands again, please pass on a characteristic firm handshake in Jim's memory.