James Raymond Scheskie

James Raymond Scheskie, age 96, of Des Plaines, passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of Tuesday, September 10, 2024. He was born October 2, 1927 in Evanston, IL and spent his entire life in Des Plaines until moving into a care home in Oswego in 2022.

Jim dropped out of high school during his senior year to enlist in the Navy during World War II at age 17 and continued to serve in the occupation forces in Japan after the war. Upon returning home, he had hoped to finish school, but felt he no longer fit in with the high school crowd. Instead, he went to work in the women’s garment industry where both of his parents worked.

He was fortunate to meet his future wife, Beverly Wirth, when she was only 16. They were married July 2, 1949 when Beverly was 17 and Jim was 21, and their deep love for each other lasted through nearly 69 years of marriage.

Jim and Beverly built a home on Henry Avenue in Des Plaines where they lived throughout their marriage. After they were blessed with two daughters, Jim decided it was time for a career change and joined the Des Plaines Police Department in 1956. He served there for almost 30 years, ending his career as a lieutenant. He taught defensive driving classes and started a local chapter of Crime Stoppers in Des Plaines. He was proud of his career and loved his community, but his greatest joy was spending time with his family.

After raising his daughters, he served as a father to his four grandsons who lived next door to him during most of their childhood. He took them to their Little League games and attended their sporting events as well as all of their Boy Scout activities. He enjoyed Boy Scouting so much that he continued to help out with the local Boy Scout campouts even after his grandsons were grown. He could always be counted on to smuggle in six packs of pop that he would sell to the boys for 10¢ a can.

Jim loved helping others, and was the guy in the neighborhood who would go out after a big snowstorm and use his snowblower to clear the sidewalks up and down both sides of the block. He had a great sense of humor and loved to make people laugh. He especially adored his 14 great-grandchildren and thoroughly enjoyed the time that he was able to spend with them. An active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jim served for a year along with Beverly as a missionary at an LDS church history site in Liberty, MO. He also served as an ordinance worker at the Chicago Temple for nearly 25 years.

He is survived by his daughter Debbie (David) Buchanan of Montgomery, IL, grandchildren Scott (Emily) Leonard of Orem, UT, James (Jaime) Leonard of Chandler, AZ, Jared (Amanda) Leonard of Denver, and Ryan Leonard of Des Plaines, IL. He is also survived by great-grandchildren Emma, Lily, Paige and Thomas Leonard of Orem, UT, Ashlyn and Aiden Leonard of Chandler, AZ, Brighton and Austen Leonard of Denver, and Phoenix, Alissa, Jax, Sariah, Kamden and Leighton Buchanan and great-great-grandchildren Brantley and Skylar Karmuth, all of Montgomery, along with a multitude of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends who were very dear to his heart.

He was preceded in death by his wife Beverly in 2018, his parents Fred and Harriet Scheskie, stepfather Al Zupfer, daughters Karen Scheskie who died as an infant, and Susan (Gary Pavlenkov) Scheskie who died in 2016, as well as a dear sister Annabel Wolf, and other loved ones with whom he is now enjoying a happy reunion.

Visitation and a memorial service will be held on Monday, September 16, 2024, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2035 N. Windsor Dr, Arlington Heights, IL. A brief visitation will be held from 10:00 am to 10:45 a.m. with the funeral following at 11:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Ridgewood Cemetery, 9900 N. Milwaukee Ave, Des Plaines, IL.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jim’s name to LDS Philanthropies, 1450 N. University Ave, Provo, UT 84604 or to Ceres Community Project, P.O. Box 1562, Sebastopol, CA 95473.