John L. James

John Leslie James, 94, passed away July 18, 2017 in Wichita, KS. He was born November 26, 1922 in Sharon, OK to John Lloyd and Opal (Hastings) James. He was preceded in death by his wife, Jeanne; his parents; his sister, Doris Watson; and grandson, Alex James. John was a much loved father, grandfather, and great grandfather. He enjoyed traveling the world, the beauty of nature, the mountains, and his house in Colorado. John graduated from OU with degrees in geological and petroleum engineering, and was a geologist in Wichita for many years. John met his future bride at a USO dance during WWII. Lieutenant James served as a pilot in the Pacific theater during WWII. John and Jeanne were married for 72 years until her passing in January 2017. John is survived by his children, John T. (Donna) James of Houston, Susan (Darwin) Eakins of Lawrence, and David (Melanie) James of Tempe; also surviving are six grandchildren, Kira, Paul, Brent, Kristen, Laura, Austen, and 11 great-grandchildren. John was a kind and gentle man who loved his family above everything else, and will be dearly missed. A Memorial service will be held 11:00 a.m. Sunday, August 6, 2017 at Resthaven Mortuary.