James Schmickley

JAMES SCHMICKLEY

Cedar Rapids

James "Jim" Harold Schmickley, 79, of Cedar Rapids, died Monday,

Dec. 1, 2014. Services: 11 a.m. Monday, Dec. 8, at First United Methodist Church, Marion. Visitation: 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Center, Marion, and one hour before the service Monday at the church. There will be a private family burial.

Jim was born July 15, 1935, in Lake City, Iowa, to Harold and Margaret (James) Schmickley. He earned his bachelor's degree in engineering from Iowa State University in Ames and his MBA from the University of Iowa in Iowa City. Jim and Kae Nelson were married at the First Methodist Church in Boone, Iowa, on Nov. 23, 1958.

He proudly served in the Army for four years in Germany. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Marion. He retired in 1995 from Rockwell as a reliability engineer, after working for over 30 years in the defense industry.

He is survived by his wife, Kae; children, Michael (Julie) Schmickley of Algonquin, Ill., Susan (Eldon) Zacek of Concord, N.C., and Keith (Julie) Schmickley of Cedar Rapids; grandchildren, Jennifer, Bradley, Emma and Leah Schmickley, Eldon III and Valerie Zacek, Kameron (Jamie) Hobbs and Quinn, Mitchell and Cole Kirchner; four great-grandchildren; brothers, Ronald (Judy) Schmickley, Dennis (Marilyn) Schmickley and Verne (Beki) Schmickley; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Jim enjoyed watching military movies, was a history buff and wrote guest columns for The Gazette. Above all else, Jim enjoyed spending time with his friends, family and especially his beloved dog, Cocoa.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the First United Methodist Church in Marion in Jim's memory.

Please share a memory of Jim at www.murdoch

funeralhome.com under obituaries.