James H. Warner

James H. Warner, 79, of Sioux City passed away Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2010, in Clarksdale, Miss.

Services will be 2 p.m. Tuesday at First Lutheran Church in Sioux City, with the Rev. Alan Wicks officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be 5 to 7 p.m. Monday at Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel.

Jim was born June 9, 1931, in Homer, Neb., the son of Blanche and Herbert Warner. He graduated from Dakota City High School in 1949. He served in the U.S. Army as a captain, from 1952 through 1954. He went on to attend the University of Nebraska, receiving his degree in mechanical engineering. With his degree, he went to work for Broyhill Manufacturing, designing farm equipment, while continuing to farm the family acreage.

In 1967, he moved from engineering to financial services, beginning a long career of sales and management as a partner of Lamson Bros. in Sioux City and Chicago. He moved to become a senior executive vice president of Shearson-Lehman in 1975. He finally created The Warner Group in 1987, where he served as chief executive officer for over 20 years.

Jim was involved in many charities in the Siouxland area, notably the Sioux City Symphony and the Arts Center. He was an enthusiastic supporter of building his community.

Though Jim would occasionally enjoy a good Nebraska football game on the tractor radio or curse his way around the golf course annually, he most enjoyed being in the country farming, briskly walking and viewing the fields, and this was true until the end. He also had a passion for flying and could be talked into a flight at very short notice.

He leaves behind a son, Trenton James Warner of Berkeley, Calif.; a daughter, Shonda Kahl Warner of Clarksdale, Miss.; two sisters, Ruth Weekes of South Sioux City and Barbara Hopton of Sarasota, Fla.; a granddaughter, Ridley Stone Warner of Berkeley; and two stepdaughters, Amy Barker Rielly of Needham, Mass., and Molly Gray of Austin, Texas.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Barbara Barker Warner in 2002.

A memorial has been established in Jim's memory at the Institute for Learning at Western Iowa Tech Community College.