James J. Witt

US NAVY VETERAN
WORLD WAR II

Jim Witt was born in Manitowoc, Wisconsin on June 15, 1925.  Manitowoc is a small town, located on the Lake Michigan coast, between Green Bay and Milwaukee.  He grew up and completed high school in Manitowoc.  Jim had one sister, Mary Ann, who was 6 years younger than him and preceded him in death.

After graduating from high school, Jim enlisted in the U.S. Navy.  He served as a Signalman aboard a ship in the Pacific Ocean theater during World War II.  Among the Signalman's duties were ship-to-ship communications using handheld flags and Morse code.  One funny story involving Jim's grandson who, upon hearing what grandpa did with the signaling flags in the Navy, responded with: "That doesn't sound very smart grandpa, wouldn't the enemy shoot at you if you stood up on the ship waving flags around?".

After Jim's Honorable Discharge from the Navy in 1946, he began a 38-year career with Western Union, during which he managed several Western Union offices, including offices in Racine, Wisconsin and Des Moines, Iowa.  Jim also had a very successful career with Western Union as a Salesperson, during which he won many sales awards on a yearly basis.

During Jim's retirement years, he volunteered as a counselor for the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) in Iowa.  SHIP provides personalized counseling and assistance regarding health insurance for people with Medicare.

Jim was a devoted Catholic throughout his lifetime.  He served as an usher at weekly mass for 40 years while living in Des Moines, Iowa.

Jim had a variety of hobbies and interests throughout his lifetime.  He was a long-time member of the YMCA, including being a member of the Y's 500-mile joggers club during most of the 1970's.  He was also a long-time member of the Knights of Columbus and led one of their chapters in Racine, Wisconsin in the 1960's.  Jim was also an avid sports fan with football, baseball, and basketball being his favorite sports.  He especially liked the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and all the Iowa college teams.

On July 23rd, 1949, Jim married Josephine Carlevato.  Jim and Josephine had a wonderful 68+ year marriage before Jim passed away.  Josephine also worked for Western Union, which is how they met.  They lived in several cities in the states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa before moving to Mason Christian Village in Mason, Ohio in 2011.  Josephine remains a resident at Mason Christian Village.

Jim has 2 children: his son, Jim Jr., and his wife, Carol, live in Cincinnati and his daughter, Mary, lives in Chicago.  Jim has 2 grandchildren: Diane, who lives in Cincinnati, and Kevin, who lives in Sunnyvale, California.

Jim was a very good-hearted and good-natured individual who loved spending time with his family and got along well with everyone.  He liked to tease others - always in a kind way - and frequently was also the object of good-natured ribbing from his family, which he enjoyed as much as his family members did.  One funny story illustrating this involves Jim's grandson, Kevin, who was totally obsessed with dinosaurs when he was young.  Jim's son told Kevin that Grandpa was so old that he was around when the dinosaurs lived.  For a long time after that, Jim patiently answered Kevin's dinosaur questions, such as "Grandpa, could you outrun a T-Rex?"
Jim enjoyed engaging with and relating to all people.  He was always very outgoing and could strike up a conversation in any environment.  As soon as Jim greeted someone by first name, he evoked an instant smile.  In Jim's later years as memory for names faded a bit, he got even more smiles when he got somewhat "creative" with people's names.

Jim is survived by his wife Josephine of 68 years, his son Jim and his wife Carol, his daughter Mary, and 2 grandchildren, Diane and Kevin.  He will truly be missed by his family and friends.

Visitation will be at Mason Christian Village Chapel, 411 Western Row Road, Mason, OH 45040 on Wednesday, February 14, 2018 from 10 AM until 12 noon. Family graveside service and interment will follow at Dayton National Cemetery.

To send a condolence, visit MuellerfuneralS.com  513-398-9100