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Obituary for James Gerald Vydra

James Gerald  Vydra
James Gerald Vydra was born October 21, 1940 in Cleveland, Ohio. He was the third child of Victor and Ann Vydra. Jim began his formal education at St. Peter and Paul elementary school in Garfield Heights, Ohio. He advanced quickly, skipping the sixth and the eighth grade. Thus, he was enrolled at Benedictine High School at the age of thirteen.

In his sophomore year, Jim joined the debate team. On a fateful day in 1955, he joined his team members in a school bus that took them to Stow, Ohio for a debate tournament. It was there he met Marilyn Grega, who was on the team from Hoban Dominican High School in Cleveland. This was the beginning of an "off again" "on again" romance that lasted for seven years.

After high school graduation, Jim worked for the City of Cleveland as a license inspector. Shortly before his 18th birthday, he enlisted in the Navy and served until 1961, working and operating flight simulators to train Navy pilots at Barbers Point Naval Base in Honolulu, Hawaii.

After his discharge from the Navy, Jim worked as a technical repair man for Simplex Time Recorder Company. He finally married Marilyn on August 25, 1962.

Promotions gave his family, which now consisted of two daughters, Marianne (1963) and Lisa (1964), the opportunity to move around the Midwest. The first job transfer took them to Madison, WI where a third daughter, Elaine (1966), was born. A promotion to sales caused a move to Springfield, IL. As before, each transfer brought with it additions to the family. This time, the additions were twins, Susan and Sharon (1968). Another lateral move in 1972 took the family to Peoria, IL. Finally, in 1973, Jim was promoted to Office and Sales Manager in Springfield, MO. The family joined St. Agnes parish where the eldest daughters would attend grade school. Although it took seven years, there was yet another addition to the family: Anne (1980). He and Marilyn raised a loud, happy family of six daughters (and countless cats), honorably, with much joy, "punny" jokes and a scotch & water on the rocks every evening at 6.

Jim was an avid fisherman and exuberant home improvement project manager. He enjoyed gourmet cooking and his dinners will be missed very much; especially the dinners that included medium rare steaks, lamb loin roasts and freshly caught whole trout, grilled to perfection, served with toasted almonds, lemon slices and appropriate side dishes. Jim took care with the trout, covering the eyes with fresh parsley so as not to offend the sensitivity of his six daughters.

Jim was a fun, overgrown-kid kind of dad. He took his daughters fishing and camping and swimming often. Paydays were often spent at Shakey's Pizza with the whole family in tow, singing songs on the radio the whole trip. He'd spend hours at softball games, band concerts and homecoming events, taking particular delight in mortifying each and every daughter by taking his position in the bleachers, standing up and then waving his arms across his head exaggeratedly, until the target daughter was sufficiently embarrassed and made sure that, now, any chance of dating was non-existent.

His many talents included his unique and exuberant vocal stylings. Ask any Girl Scout from Troop #19 about his 6 a.m. Camp Finbrook wake-up serenade; a boisterous, off-key rendition of “Oh What a Beautiful Morning.” Additionally, he was renowned for a very special rendition of "Joy to the World" when, during Christmas Mass, he would sneak in an additional “repeat,” (i.e. repeat, repeat, REPEAT the…”). When the daughters would then be scolded by Marilyn for laughing during mass, innocence was pled by imploring, “But…it was DAD!” The defense fell on Marilyn’s deaf ears, while Jim belly-snickered with mischievous glee.

Jim is preceded in death by his parents, Victor and Ann Vydra, and a brother, David Vydra. Surviving are his wife Marilyn (née Grega) and six daughters: Marianne Vydra, Corvallis, Or.; Melissa Vydra, Brighton, Mo.; Elaine Vydra, St. Louis, Mo.; Susan Brown (Kelly), Springfield, Mo.; Sharon Wickersham (Paul), Willard, Mo.; and Anne Gonsoulin (Paul) Nashville, Tn.; four grandsons: Kelby McMillen, Austin McMillen, James Brown, Louis Brown; a sister, Mary Ann Ross, Gainesville, Florida and a brother, Victor Vydra, Santee, California.

Memorial visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday July 31, 2014 in St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 2200 West Republic Rd. Springfield, MO, with prayer services starting at 7:00 p.m.

A Mass of Resurrection will be celebrated at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church on Friday, August 1st at 11:00 a.m. Inurnment will take place at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery at 2:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made in Jim’s name to Hospice Foundation of America (hospicefoundation.org) or The Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research (www.pancreatic.org).

Permanent online condolences, stories and photos may be shared at www.hhlohmeyer.com.
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