James H. Walters

WALTERS, James H. of Portage James H. Walters died on August 23, at 3pm at his home. He was 76 years old. He is survived by his loving wife of 48 years Judy Engelke, originally from Ann Arbor; his children: Jim Molly of Spring Lake, Michigan and their children Sam, Ben and Zoe; and by his daughters Jennifer of Portage, and Mary Jeff Kowalczyk of Paw Paw. Also surviving are a brother Tom Katie of Quincy, Illinois, a sister Nancy Valentine of New York City, and cousins Betty Beall of Versailles, Kentucky and Virginia Babb of Anderson Indiana. All of them brought great joy to his life. Jim was born in Des Moines, and grew up there and in Minneapolis, Detroit and Chicago. He was an engineering graduate from the University of Michigan, with scholastic and varsity athletic honors. He won the Big Ten low board diving championship in 1953 and also went on to compete in the final trials for the 1956 Olympics. He then served four years as an officer in the U.S. Navy before he settled with his bride Judy in Portage in 1961. Jim started his career as a salesman for IBM. Then he organized Great Lakes Computer Center, a computer service company for American National Bank in Kalamazoo. He eventually became the Executive Vice President of the bank. Later, he merged American National Bank into Old Kent Bank and was put in charge of mergers and acquisitions. Jim especially enjoyed activities with his own children as they grew up: in Scouting and camping; in sports and music; and in hobby projects. He served as an officer on the Boy Scout Council, the First Presbyterian Church Board of Trustees, the Specific Language Disability Center for children, and the AFS Foreign Student Exchange. When he retired from the corporate world, Jim and Judy enjoyed extensive travels through Europe. He also kept busy managing the family farm in Indiana and with other business activities. During retirement he took special satisfaction in spending time with his children and grandchildren and in writing and publishing the book Scoop, which told the exciting story of how the Ciano Diary was smuggled from Rome to Washington where it was used as evidence against the Nazis at the Nuremburg Trials. A visitation will be on Thursday from 5-8:00pm at Langeland Family Funeral Homes, Westside Chapel 3926 South 9th St., where funeral services will also take place on Friday at 11:00am. Interment will follow at South Portage Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be directed to the American Cancer Society. Please see www.langelands.com for online obituary, directions, register book and condolences.
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