James Calkins

NAME James "Jim" Calkins, age 82, of Elburn, formerly of Cleveland, OH, claimed the Easter promise of his savior when he passed away Tuesday evening, April 3, 2007, at Provena Mercy Center Hospital. BORN: He was born August 6, 1924 the son of Charles "Louie" and Rose (McManus) Calkins in Cleveland, OH. EARLY YEARS :Jim grew up in Garfield Heights, a suburb of Cleveland, and attended local schools, graduating from St. Ignatius High School in 1942. MILITARY: Shortly thereafter he was drafted into the United States Navy in March of 1943. He served his country in the European and Pacific Theaters as a radio operator during WWII. He was honorably discharged January 27, 1946 and returned to civilian life to his hometown where he used the G.I. Bill to obtain a Bachelors degree in physics at John Carroll University. Jim found work with several engineering firms through out the years and despite passing the "65" mark by many years, he never retired.MARRIAGE He was united in marriage to Gerrie Ott in 1951. They lived in the Cleveland area until her passing in 1955. Jim weathered the storm of grief and raised his children for the next 27 years. In 1978, Jim followed his nose for business when he moved to Illinois and purchased Binks Industries in Wood Dale. In 1982, Jim found a kindred soul in Carolyn Kraiss who worked as an accountant. They were united in marriage on August 29, 1987 and made their home in Wood Dale for a time before making one of Jim’s dreams of designing a house in the country come true. They settled in their new house in Elburn in 1991 where they would make and share memories for years to come. LIFE NOTES A man of strong faith and a love for the simplicity of the country, Jim loved his big back yard and enjoyed riding his tractor and taking care of his "homestead". He was a "workaholic" but always made time to talk to anyone, as long as they didn’t interfere with his daily "date" with the Wall Street Journal which he read front to back every evening. Jim had a mind for numbers and business but he had a heart for football and loved to watch every Sunday. His friends were many, his family deeply devoted, and his memory will live long in the hearts of those who knew him. SURVIVORS He now leaves his wife Carolyn, Six children:Marty Calkins of Boston, MA, Terrie (Bob) Frenson of Basking Ridge, NJ, Kim (Bob) Schiller of Naperville, IL, Bob Shroka of Plainfield, IL, Mike (Carol) Shroka of Aurora, IL, and Joe (Melissa) Shroka of Alamogordo, NM;Nine grandchildren:Dan and Chris Schiller, Jessica and Matthew Shroka, Mary Malia and John Michael Shroka and Cody, Justin and Elizabeth Shroka;One sister, Lois (Pat) Soria of Sullivan, OH; Many nieces, nephews and a large family of friends. PRECEDED He now joins his parents, one brother Francis Calkins, one sister Rose Agnes Novak, and his first wife Gerrie who preceded him in deathMEMORIAL A memorial has been established in his name to benefit the St. Gall Church Building Fund. Checks may be made to the "James Calkins Memorial" and mailed in care of P.O. Box 66, Elburn, IL 60119. Tributes and memories may also be forwarded to the family at the same address or through www.conleycare.com.

VISITATIONFriends may call from 4-8 p.m., Tuesday, April 10, 2007 with a wake service to conclude the evening at 8:00, at Conley Funeral Home, 116 W. Pierce St., Elburn.FUNERAL A mass to celebrate his life will be held at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, April 11th at the St. Gall Church, Elburn. Fr. Karl Ganss, pastor of the church, will officiate.

Interment will follow on Thursday, April 12th at Calvary Cemetery, Cleveland, OH.