James Paul 'Jim' Scandridge, 09 Dec 1944 - 02 Sep 2020

SCANDRIDGE, THYS, FAY, NUNNELLEY, POZZI

Posted By: Sarah Witte (email)
Date: 9/10/2020 at 13:59:12

Jim Scandridge, age 75 of Victor, died on Wednesday, September 2, 2020 at his home. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, September 8, 2020 at St. Bridget Catholic Church in Victor with Fr. Corey Close presiding. Interment will be at Calvary Cemetery in Victor. A luncheon will follow at St. Bridget Catholic Church.

A rosary and scripture service will be held at 2:00 pm on Monday at the Smith Funeral Home in Victor. Visitation with the family present will be held from 3:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Monday at the Smith Funeral Home in Victor.

Memorials may be designated to St. Bridget Catholic Church or to Rural Employment Alternatives, Inc. and mailed in care of the Smith Funeral Home, PO Box 485, Victor, Iowa 52347. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family online at www.smithfh.com.

James Paul Scandridge was born the son of Paul John Scandridge and Mary Margaret (Thys) Scandridge on December 9, 1944, in Belle Plaine, Iowa. He was raised on the family farm near Hartwick, Iowa and graduated from HLV High School in Victor, Iowa with the class of 1963. Jim was united in marriage to Jeannine Lynne Fay on June 27, 1980 at St. Bridget Catholic Church in Victor. Their marriage was blessed with two children: Kristin and Brien. They raised their family in Victor. The family enjoyed time spent together operating the Scandridge Christmas Tree Lot from the late 1970’s until 2000.

In his early years, Jim worked at St. John’s Catholic School and St. Bridget Catholic Church as a janitor and bus driver. Even 50 years later, he was still recalling stories about the kids on his route. Jim was quite the entrepreneur. He started by owning his own fix-it shop called, “Jim’s Service”, in Victor. He later went on to start his own trucking company, Scandridge Transport, which he operated from 1969 until 1983.

Once he left the open road behind, his love of trucking remained. Jim discovered he had a natural gift to teach others. He went on to complete his Teacher Certificate at the University of Northern Iowa. Jim was a longtime truck driving and transportation instructor at Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo. During his career at Hawkeye, Jim was named “Outstanding Trade and Industry Instructor” and also received the “President’s Award for Outstanding Faculty Member”. Jim retired in 2006, but still couldn’t leave the road behind. He went on to drive truck for A1 Fiberglass in Montezuma, where the road led him to meet many more new friends along his route to Winnebago.

Jim had strong faith in God that laid the foundation for his entire life. Jim was a lifetime member of St. Bridget Catholic Church, where he received all of his sacraments. He attended St. John’s Catholic School through the 11th grade. He went on to become a member of the Knights of Columbus and was a CCD teacher for many years.

Jim had a deep love of family and enjoyed the time spent together, especially at the campground. His favorite camping sites were in Clermont and at Hickory Hills. Some of his favorite students for life lessons were his grandkids, whom he spent as much time with as he could.

He always looked forward to attending his “morning meetings” at the Victor Market, and running his vending machine route where he could visit with many of his friends. Jim was a good friend to many and never knew a stranger. He could meet a stranger in a waiting room or a gas station and suddenly have plans that included a meal or a campfire. He didn’t just “meet people”, he engaged at every opportunity. People were drawn to his realism, wit, and authenticity.

Jim traveled a lot of roads and crossed a lot of paths with a lot of people. He will always be remembered for being compassionate, loyal and outgoing. He has touched the lives of countless people with his continued teachings of faith, work and life.

Jim is survived by his wife of 40 years, Jeannine Scandridge of Victor; daughter, Kristin (Houston) Nunnelley of Victor; son, Brien (Brittany) Scandridge of Waukee, IA; 5 grandchildren (Haven, Hudson, Lynnea, Marielle and Alora); brother, Dan Scandridge of Hartwick, IA; and sister, Jean Pozzi of Bend, Oregon.

Published on Smith Funeral Home website, an abbreviated version published in The Gazette on September 6 2020