James Allen Hicks, 11 Aug 1925 - 8 Apr 2009

HICKS THURBER FAMA GUNTO ATCHISON TSONAS MURCH KIMM MILLER DICSON KILFOY RONK

Posted By: Stephen D. Williams (email)
Date: 5/9/2009 at 20:31:52

James Allen Hicks , 83, formerly of Venice, Fla., died Wednesday, April 8, 2009, at the Highland Ridge Care Center in Williamsburg, from complications of Parkinson’s disease.
James “Jim” was born Aug.
11, 1925, in East Lansing, Mich., the son of Robert E. and Zoe (Thurber) Hicks.
He married Mary Ann Fama of Moundsville, W.Va., daughter of Paul and Catherine (Gunto) Fama, on Sept. 15, 1946, at Peoples Church in East Lansing. Jim was preceded in death by his parents; his brother Robert E. Hicks Jr., and his sister Marjorie Atchison.
He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Mary Ann Hicks of Williamsburg; two daughters, Katherine Tsonas and husband Danny Murch of Bryson City, N.C. and Deborah Kimm and husband Bruce of Amana; three grandchildren, Tyson Kimm and wife Lindsey of Cedar Rapids, Heidi Miller and husband Matthew of Cedar Rapids and Joshua Kimm and wife Vanessa of Swisher; five great grandchildren, Carson Kimm, Belle and Brycen Miller, and Mason and Hudson Kimm; one brother Harold E. Hicks and wife Wilma of Lansing, Mich., and three sisters, Merlyn Dicson and husband Donald of St. Johns, Mich., Helen Kilfoy of Chicago, and Janet Ronk and husband David of East Lansing, Mich.; and many great nieces and nephews and their families.
Jim graduated from East Lansing High School in 1943 and joined the Air Force where he developed a lifelong passion for flying. He trained to fly B-25 bombers and graduated in 1945 from the Army Air Force. He met Mary Ann at a dance in Phoenix while stationed in Arizona. Once married, they lived in East Lansing where Jim worked with his dad building homes. Both of his daughters were born in Lansing. In 1957 he moved his family to Sarasota, Fla. where he built, owned, and operated “Seaside Siesta” apartments on Crescent Beach for six years. He then became a self-taught pool builder having checked out information at the public library and built “Swimming Pools by James A. Hicks” for many years. He sold the pool business and built the “spindrift” condominium on Siesta Beach where he and Mary Ann lived until they moved to Venice in 1988. Over the years Jim enjoyed spending many months in the Smoky Mountains. There he built two unique cottages for his family on a mountainside near Bryson City, N.C. In May 2008, Jim and his wife moved to Iowa.
A private memorial celebrating Jim’s life was held on Saturday, April 11 at his daughter Deborah’s home which he built in 1981.
Jim was lovingly remembered as a talented, hard-working man with a quick wit, a wonderful sense of humor and a “daredevilish” spirit. He was a devoted father and a loving grandfather. He especially loved spending time with his beloved wife, Mary Ann.

Cedar Rapids Gazette, 29 Apr 2009, pg A8 & 30 Apr 2009, pg A7 (above obit from the CRG)