James Frederick Ayres was born in Melrose Park, IL , June 10, 1941.  Jim grew up in a small country town in rural Illinois.    He often recounted stories of his time exploring the woods and creeks surrounding his home.  It was in the outdoors where he truly felt free.

As a young man, Jim's adventurous nature took him to California where he made a life for himself and his growing young family.  There he established himself as a Teamster and experienced the ups and downs of life.  He always kept moving, always looked for lessons to be learned and he always believed that the best was yet to come.

As life took him through a journey of his own, he was eventually led to a singles church gathering where he met the love of his life.   On May 23, 1982 he married his best friend Pamela Irvine.  Together they made a life for themselves celebrating 42 years of life and their family.             Jim and Pam moved to Springfield, MO in 2000, where they retired.

Jim made a career for himself in the transportation industry. Beginning in trucking and ultimately ending in the aerospace industry working for the Boeing Aircraft Company, as a Facilities Engineer.  Jim was known for his hard work ethic, his cunning ability to problem solve and his can-do attitude to get the job done.

Jim's personality was larger than life.  He was also known for his positivity, his relentless humor and his ability to find the goodness in everything and everybody.   He loved and served the Lord. He loved the outdoors, he loved his wife, and loved his family more than anything else in this world.

Jim passed away surrounded by love on Friday, September 27th 2024. He will forever be remembered for his kind, loving nature, his joyful presence, and his ability to find humor in every situation.

He is preceded in death by his parents and two brothers.

He is survived by his wife Pam; three children, Dawn Richmond of The Villages, FL, Debby Lievrouw of Carrollton TX , and Vicki Ankcorn of Lawrenceville, GA; 5 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.

Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 AM, Friday, October 4, 2024 at Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home.

But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.              Isaiah 40:31