James "Jim" Whitney Leeming Jr.

Jim Leeming of Roscoe, MT went to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on October 20, 2022. He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Margaret Leeming; his sister, Jane Reger; and brother-in-law, James Reger.

He was born on February 20, 1927, in Chicago, Illinois. He was the son of Margaret and James W. Leeming, Sr. He left high school his senior year to join the United States Navy during the Second World War. He served in the South Pacific aboard the USS Indus AKN 1 and aboard the USS Sarsfield DD 837. Honorably discharged, Jim graduated from the University of Illinois, Urbana, IL. He was a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity and graduated with a degree in Metallurgical Engineering. He married Lois Ann Heller of Montpelier, Ohio in 1950. They have four daughters, Linda Lee, Carruth Ann, Nancy Jane, and Jody Pamela. In addition, he is survived by eight grandchildren; and 26 great- grandchildren, all of whom he loved dearly. He went to work at United States Steel, South Works Research Department in 1950. Two years later he was assigned to work for seven months at a forging company, Wyman Gordon, forging truck crankshafts, and in other plants for most all the truck builders in the US.

When it was time to return to US Steel, the VP of Wyman Gordon took him out for lunch and said, “Jim, we would like to have you go to work for us. It has been cleared with US Steel and we received permission to talk to you about it and would hope you would consider it, taking as long as you like to decide.” His reply was, “I most certainly will consider it!” Several months later he went to work for nearly 25 years in various divisions at Wyman Gordon. It was the Dawn of the Age of the metal titanium. Wyman Gordon operated several plants in Worchester, MA and Grafton, MA, as well as several Aerospace Operations on the West Coast. Then he attended Harvard Business School for Management Development.

When Wyman Gordon sold the plant where Jim was then employed, he decided on starting a consulting business, Resume Inc. for marketing retired engineering persons. It was reasonably successful. He decided to take early retirement and moved to our favorite home, the cabin in Roscoe, MT.

He lived in and enjoyed many homes starting in Homewood, IL; Flossmoor, IL; Sudbury, MA; Villa Park, CA; San Clemente, CA; Roscoe, MT; and finally in Great Falls, MT, and he enjoyed them all.

In Illinois, the family took up boating. Christy 1 was 19 feet followed by Christy 2 that was 31 feet! After joining the Power Squadron, the family cruised the major rivers and Lake Michigan. He took classes on seamanship.

When the family moved to Sudbury, MA, they took up skiing. Jim and family joined the United States Ski Patrol and lived close to a ski area that had night skiing. One day while skiing, he was watching his four daughters at the top of the hill and while at the bottom, standing talking to the lift operator his daughters all came down the hill as everyone watched. The lift operator said, “Those four girls are the best skiers I have ever seen. They must have had a good instructor!” Suddenly one shouted, “Dad, are you going to join us?”

Jim attended church regularly, and the next twenty years were spent at the Absarokee Evangelical Church. Jim visited local hospitals and nursing homes having given the service on the fourth Sunday for over twenty years at the Beartooth Manor, Columbus, MT and with others, gave the Sunday service for ten years at East Rosebud Lake from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

He was bothered by the misuse of the two words JOY and HAPPY. Twenty years ago, Jim wrote and published a book called THE JOYFUL BOOK, pointing out that happy is used only 15 or so times and then usually in a negative sense whereas JOY and GLAD are used close to 500 times in the Bible, describing the Lord as an example of their use you might read the Book of Esther. I do not understand this.

His last years in Great Falls were spent in Brookdale, Highgate, an Independent Living Home where he suffered a serious broken hip requiring the use of a walker. It was eventually decided that living in a smaller Independent Living Home, that BeeHive Homes in Great Falls would be his future abode. He joined the Calvary Chapel Cascade and became an Elder but has been unable to be involved in the outside activities because he requires the use of a walker.

His hope is that you and future generations would find the JOY he had in the Lord Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.

Jim is survived by his four daughters, Linda Lee, Carruth Ann, Nancy Jane, and Jody Pamela; eight grandchildren; and twenty-six great-grandchildren, all of whom he loved dearly and admired greatly.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Absarokee Evangelical Church, 34 N Woodward Ave, Absarokee, MT 59001 or Calvary Chapel Cascade, 3400 Flood Rd, Great Falls, MT 59404.