James Carl Lonsdale was born in Wyandotte, Mich., on Sept. 15, 1942, and passed on Jan. 8, 2021, in Morgantown.
He was born Sept. 15, 1942, in Wyandotte, Mich., a son of the late Melvin and Elizabeth Fieselman Lonsdale.
He is survived by wife of 57 years, Rebecca; son, Richard and wife Tirzah; daughter, Janet and husband Timothy R. Nurkiewicz, PhD; brother, Ray and wife Valerie; nieces, Hannah and Emelia; grandchildren, Johanna, Gwendolyn, Jamie and Maegyn; and special family members David and Ruth.
After earning his A&P license from Spartan School of Aeronautics in Tulsa, Okla., James worked for Piper Aircraft for 15 years, then Pratt and Whitney for another 25 years. He also earned a private pilot’s license. His career took him all over the country and the world; he found homes in Oklahoma, Illinois, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Germany, Australia, Singapore, Washington, Kentucky and Kingwood. He has traveled to every state in the U.S. and been to every continent except Africa and Antarctica, finding adventures everywhere he went. But his proudest and greatest adventures were those with his family, especially his grandchildren. With Rebecca, he put over 150,000 miles on four Harley Davidsons. James held his roots close, always having a special love for farming and restoring cars and tractors, skills bestowed upon him by his father — and skills he sought to pass on to his children and grandchildren. Those who survive him hold his memory in their hearts and carry his passions with them into the future.
A celebration of life will be held in the future; details forthcoming.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to SOS Children’s Villages, Administrative Office, 216 W. Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60606.
Condolences:
www.browningfuneralhome.net
