Jimmie Kent "Jim" Walker

Jimmie Kent "Jim" Walker, 75 of Sioux City, passed away on Thursday, August 27, 2015 at a Sioux City hospital. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, September 1, 2015 at Blessed Sacrament Church with Father Daniel J. Rupp as Celebrant. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Monday, August 31, 2015 at Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel with family present at 6:00 p.m. and a Prayer Service Monday evening at 7:00 p.m. Jim was born on May 1, 1940 in Lawton, Oklahoma to James and Ruth (Fleming) Walker. He graduated with the Class of 1958 from Lawton High School, and continued his education at the University of Oklahoma, graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering. While at the University, Jim was also in the R.O.T.C. Program, and after his graduation, fulfilled his obligation to the United States Army by going through Officer's Training in Aberdeen, Maryland, after which, Jim served 4 years in the Army. He moved to Hutchinson, Kansas where he was a design engineer for Cessna Corporation for several years before moving to Lyons, Kansas to work at Lyon's Manufacturing. Jim returned to the Cessna Corporation, and back to Hutchinson, Kansas, where he also commanded a Military Police Unit and retired from the military as an Inspector General out of Wichita. Jim considered entering the military as a career several times, but found his calling in the private sector in engineering. He moved to Sioux City in the late 1970's where he began his career with Prince Manufacturing Corporation. He started in sales, and was promoted to Plant Manager. In 1983, Jim married Joan F. Korth in Sioux City on February 11th. He also was promoted to Head of Engineering with Prince Manufacturing in 1983, and retired as a Senior Vice President of Engineering in 2006. He continued his education while in Siouxland, obtaining his Masters in Business at the University of South Dakota. He was a P.E. Jim was active outside work, and participated in numerous organizations. He held several offices in the Cosmopolitan Society, and was President of the CDC for the Cosmopolitan Cornbelt Federation, and served on the board for many years. Jim was President for the International Cornbelt Federation for the Cosmopolitan from 1999 until 2004, and during that same time period was President of the Iowa Engineering Association. Jim was the President of Three Rivers Cosmopolitan Evening Club for multiple years. Jim enjoyed woodworking, loved his exercise program he'd studied and carried out to strengthen his health, and found great joy and satisfaction in his family and friends. He enjoyed traveling, meeting and interacting with new people, was always up for a challenge, and was skillful in solving problems. Jim is survived by his wife Joan of Sioux City; son Keith Walker of Denver, CO; daughter Mollie Freeman and her husband Scott of Loveland, CO; step-son Raymond VanBuskirk and his fiancé Marisa Nation; sisters Nancy Bennett of Cleveland, TN, Patti McIntyre and Cathy Newsom, both of Lawton, OK; and six grandchildren. Jim was preceded in death by his parents, first wife Carol Thompson-Walker, and former parents-in-law James and Kathleen Thompson.