James "Jim" Bolton

James Lewis “Jim” Bolton, 89, of Kirksville sadly passed away with son Brian at his side at Boone Hospital in Columbia, MO, during a brief period of comfort care on November 15, 2022, the date of his 89th birthday. Jim was a soft-spoken man, and everyone that met him thought he was always a real gentleman, kind and fair to everyone, tolerant, and quietly intelligent.

Jim grew up in Lancaster, Missouri, and graduated class of ’51 Lancaster High School. He had close relationships with both of his grandfathers, James Lewis on his mother’s side and James G. Bolton on his father’s side, attending car auctions and helping out on the farm of his Grandpa Lewis, and helping operate the Bolton Electric Light & Power Co. power plant in Lancaster with his Grandpa Bolton and father Glen, one of the last such privately-owned power plants in the country until it was bought out by Tri-County Electric Cooperative in 1951, including maintaining the diesel engine that powered the generator, installing new power lines, and even repairing electronic appliances in customers’ homes which used the electricity his family’s business supplied. The early years Jim spent with and learning from his grandfathers greatly influenced and shaped his character, as well as his broad knowledge in a variety of disciplines, in later life.

He attended Truman State University (then called Northeast Missouri State Teachers College) for one year, and then enlisted in the Navy in 1954. After joining as a Seaman and serving aboard several vessels he later was accepted into Navy Officer Candidate School, and finally Navy Flight School, upon successful completion of which becoming first a fixed wing airplane pilot and later a helicopter pilot and helicopter flight instructor. He recounted that landing a fixed wing airplane on the pitching deck of an aircraft carrier on the open sea was one of the most frightening things he ever did, which after several such experiences was likely a factor in his decision to become a helicopter pilot instead. He also enjoyed the low and slow flight experience of helicopters better than fixed wing airplanes, as well as the many more places to which helicopters could venture.

During this time, he was fortunate to get assignments in many interesting and unusual places around the world, including Australia, Thailand, Japan, Kwajalein Atoll on a survey and mapping mission of nearby coral atoll islands, and three 5-month voluntary tours of duty in Antarctica at McMurdo Station, a place few in the world get to experience, where he flew scientists to sites for carrying out weather experiments, biological surveys, and other explorations. Among highlights, he got to travel to and have his picture taken at the South Pole, and also met and piloted the famous rocketeer Wernher von Braun who headed up NASA’s Apollo space missions. He also later served as a flight instructor in San Diego, CA, and Pensacola, FL. Jim had several close calls during his time in Southeast Asia including having to ditch helicopters in the open ocean and await rescue in shark-infested waters on more than one occasion, and flying from Thailand into the Laotian capital city of Vientiane to rescue diplomats at the French Embassy which was under attack during a national coup, coming under machine gun fire while landing on the roof of the embassy on both the first and the second trip. He said that going back the second time was one of the hardest things he ever had to do, since he had come under heavy fire on the first trip and knew well what awaited him on the second trip, and thought there was likely little chance for him to make it back alive from that mission.

He was discharged from the Navy in June, 1967, after which he returned to his hometown of Lancaster, MO, and later moved to Kirksville where he met and fell in love with future wife Beverly. They were joined in matrimony in May, 1968. Soon after, he went back to Truman State University (at this time called Northeast Missouri State University) to finish his Business Administration degree.

After residing in Blue Springs for several years when children Brian and Beth were young, Jim and Beverly moved back to Kirksville where Jim worked as an insurance adjuster and later branch office manager for Shelter Insurance for many years.

Jim enjoyed fishing and golf in his leisure time, but probably enjoyed mowing and maintaining his large yard using his several restored and beloved Allis Chalmers B-10 tractors most of all. He took great pride in both the tractors and the beauty of his lawn, a fact that was immediately evident to anyone who witnessed either. Later in life he developed a love of billiards, an interest he had had in childhood but had not entertained for several intervening decades, after being invited to join a pool league team by his son. He eventually played on several teams and built a reputation as a formidable player throughout the area. His love of the sport led him to create a private pool hall in Kirksville where he and his friends could play, which still carries on today. Jim was a lover and protector of all animals, often catching animals to show his young granddaughters - something that they thoroughly enjoyed - and then responsibly releasing them back into their habitat. He instilled this same love and respect for animals in his children and grandchildren, which is certainly part of his legacy that lives on.

He was beloved and will be deeply missed by his family, including wife Beverly (Lyberger) Bolton, Kirksville, MO; son Brian Bolton, Morgan Hill, CA; daughter Beth Teno and her husband Bob, Ottumwa, IA; granddaughters Bailey Teno, Ottumwa, IA; Brittney Teno, Cedar Rapids, IA; and Brooklyn Teno, Ottumwa, IA; and nephews, niece, and cousins. He was preceded in death by parents Glen and Claire (Lewis) Bolton, parents-in-law Birney and Hazel (Lucas) Lyberger, brother John Bolton, sister Jane Sullivan, and several uncles, aunts, and cousins.

Jim chose to be cremated and have no visitation. He asked that his ashes be spread over his parents’ gravesites and his back yard, a beautiful space that he loved. At a later date, a celebration of Jim’s life is being planned.

Arrangements in the care of Davis-Playle-Hudson-Rimer Funeral Home; www.davisplaylehudsonrimer.com.