James Hill Wilhelm

Grandpa Jim Dad has left the building after completing his final Marathon Run Battle against the devastating Progressive Senile Dementia Disease on April 29th, 2023, just after his 78th Birthday. He is now at peace preparing to make his "Hole In One" on the Heavenly Golf Course, where loved ones gone before him are there to cheer him on in their loving arms. James Hill Wilhelm was born on April 12, 1945 in Salt Lake City, Utah, as the 2nd of seven children born to Alvin Lewis and Fannie LaMar Wilhelm, and he lived most of his younger years in the East Millcreek area. He loved spending summer vacations at his Grandpa Hill's Farm in Talmage, Utah, where he learned about farm life and to ride horses, and where his love for the outdoors took roots with family camping adventures. He attended Sherman Elementary School and Evergreen Junior High School, and he was an excellent student. Jim graduated from Olympus High School in 1963 with Honors as a member of the National Honors Society, Key Club, Spanish, Music, and Math Clubs, and was also on the track and field team. He also Graduated from Olympus High LDS Seminary. The following September he began his studies at the University of Utah with a Chemical Engineering Scholarship. In early 1964 he was called to serve a Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Uruguayan Mission which at that time included Paraguay. He learned to speak fluent Spanish and the Native Paraguayan dialect of Guarani after he opened the first mission to the native jungle villages riding horses to arrive. He also served as an Assistant to the Mission President with his special companion Jerry Summerhays, whom he first met in the MTC and with whom he created a special lifetime friendship. Jim returned home in 1966 to continue his studies at the University of Utah. Along with his former mission companion Jerry, they joined the combined University of Utah Institute Choir, where he shared his tenor voice. This is where he met his future wife, Cheryl June Anderson, who sang soprano in this choir. Each March during spring break the choir would go on a singing tour, and in 1967 it was to the Northwest traveling by bus. This year the bus was very delayed. Cheryl had worn her Mom's tennis shoes and they were already hurting her feet. An announcement came saying if anyone needed anything to let Jerry Summerhays know, because his Mom was home and lived just a few minutes away. So Cheryl asked Jerry to take her to her house near Parleys Canyon to change into her own shoes. His Mom arrived to pick them up and Jerry invited his friend Jim Wilhelm to come with them, while Cheryl invited her friend Cherie Christensen to come with her, and the four of them met in the Summerhays’ car. None of us knew at that moment that a pair of wrong shoes would lead to two separate Eternal marriages many months later and to a lifetime of friendship. Jim and Cheryl were married in the Salt Lake LDS Temple on June 14, 1968 and were the first couple to meet as members of this Choir and get married while still singing in it. At their wedding reception the choir sang, with Cheryl and Jim singing with them. For the next 50-and-1/2 years until Covid 19 hit, Jim and Cheryl would continue to sing together in Ward Choirs. He enjoyed singing in Men's Quartets and small singing groups. He sang special songs with his children in Sacrament meetings and created lasting memories, as music was always a part of the Wilhelm home. He played the piano and guitar and could cup his hands and whistle songs, which was a talent unique to him that many family members tried to do without much success. With fear of being drafted to Vietnam before his college years were finished, Jim joined the Army National Guard Reserve. During those years he worked part time for EIMCO Corporation. He graduated June 5, 1970 from the University of Utah with Cum Laude Honors. Jim earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering, a subject in which he’d already distinguished himself by being the only one in his Chemical Engineering Graduating Class to receive The Outstanding Senior Award. Jim also finished his five months Basic Military training in Georgia and graduated in the top 10 percent of his class. Then it was off to Rochester, New York to begin his career, where he transferred his military records to the Air Force Reserve, eventually reaching the rank of Staff Sergeant before receiving an Honorable Discharge from the Utah Air National Guard Reserves in 1975. Jim had a brilliant mind and he could do almost anything he tried. He began his professional career at Eastman Kodak in 1971, working as a photographic engineer for new motion picture products and processes. During those two years in Rochester he made lots of new friendships and it was then that our first son, Jef, was born in 1972. We had adopted him through an agency in SLC, since we thought at the time that adoption would be the only way we would be able to have children. What joy he brought into our lives, yet we missed our families back in Utah and so in 1973 we returned to the Salt Lake Valley, where Jim was hired at EIMCO PMD/Envirotech as a development engineer in the research and development division. There he progressed to Senior Development Engineer, Development Program Manager, Director of Technical Services, and finally to Director of Process Technology. At Eimco he obtained his first patent, which was for a dual alkali desulfurization system. And that’s Jim for you: opening new frontiers in something that the rest of us can barely say! During that time in 1973 we built our first home in Sandy, Utah and in 1975 adopted our second child, Stephanie, our 4th of July joy to our lives. In 1977 we built our second and final home in Sandy in the Dimple Dell Ranchettes, where we would spend the next 46 years. Was it the water or what? - but we had four more miracle joys brought into our lives beginning with the birth of Natalie, then Melissa, then Heather, and finally another boy John in 1983. In 1980 a Vice President of EIMCO suggested that Jim start his own business doing the same things he was doing for them, but on his own. So he took a leap of faith and created Codan Associates to work as a Process Consultant with Utility and Power Plants around the country solving Pollution Control System Problems. During that time, he met Rob Moser and Frank Meserole, and together they formed a company, Codan Development LLC, that developed an award-winning SBS Flue Gas Desulfurization Process, which was the result of several patents they had created. Jim, Rob, and Frank referred to themselves as “The Tres Amigos” and their work together created a special bond of friendship that endured for the rest of Jim’s life. Besides his chemical engineering work Jim also got his Real Estate License to start Wilhelm Enterprises with his Dad to buy, repair, and sell houses, often as a lease-to-own to help others to get into their own homes. It was good all around, because it also helped his Dad in retirement, allowed Jim to learn about remodeling, and introduced young Jef to things he would find fascinating and fun. Through his efforts Jim was able to help many people through rough times and also save houses that might have been torn down otherwise. He sometimes said that the way you could tell that a house was a good candidate for fix-up and remodeling was that when you saw it, it made you want to throw up. Jim traveled lots for his work, including one trip to Turkey, but he always had time for his family, because they were his greatest love and accomplishment. He wanted his family to experience going to places and seeing things that he missed out on as a youth. He and Jef made a trip to Peru and hiked to Machu Pichu. He carved out time for special trips for just Jim and Cheryl, and over the years they got to visit Canada, Europe, and Alaska, and spend time together on cruises. Jim and Cheryl also made a special trip to Argentina to meet John at the end of his mission, and even Jef joined them in Bariloche, then the four traveled through southern Argentina to see some of the places and people John had served on his mission. At other times the whole family went by car or by plane to so many states in the USA, including Hawaii, to experience National Parks, Disneyland and Disney World. Many in the family got to go to Cancun with the Alta Soccer Team as chaperones, some even making the trip twice. As Jim’s abilities began to diminish, the family rallied together to make one great last hoorah with the vacation of a lifetime in 2018 with the entire family embarking on a Disney Christmas Cruise. Jim enjoyed these travels not only for the thrill of seeing new places, but also because he truly believed in always learning and expanding the horizons of our minds. Because he so valued learning and also cared so deeply for others, he started a Wilhelm Education Fund to help people with their education, as he genuinely wanted to help them learn and grow and achieve their best lives possible. He was a quiet man who helped without ever asking for something in return. His reward was simply seeing others progress on the path to fulfilling their dreams. Jim was always serving people and his community. He served on the Board of Directors Homeowners Association of the Dimple Dell Ranchettes twice for over 10 years. He was always helping with outdoor neighborhood projects and was in charge of the Ranchettes famous 4th of July activities and luncheon for so many years with Cheryl and others by his side. To many kids he was “Coach Jim” of the Utah Junior Jazz Basketball teams and to his daughters’ soccer teams, and he was a great supporter to John, his girls, and his grandchildren's soccer games. Jim served in many church callings too: Bishopric Counselor, Ward and Stake Clerks, Sunday School, Primary and Nursery teaching, where the kids loved him for his creative ideas that made learning fun. He was the Dimple Dell Ward Music leader for many years, finding members to perform musical numbers in Sacrament meetings. Jim had always been an athlete, playing basketball from his youth and doing track and field. He knew the tricks of the trade for staying healthy and lived them his whole life. But it wasn't until he was almost 45 years old that he decided to run a marathon and so he trained, and in 1990, he ran his first marathon in the Salt Lake City Deseret News race. When he finished, the first thing he said was, “Get me some food!” And that was the beginning of his long-distance running career, which included the St. George Marathon with his son Jef, as well as many other half marathons with his kids, and shorter races with grandkids when his knee no longer allowed him to run far. He became a great supporter of our Ultra runners and would run the final stretch at their sides encouraging them on. His body said to stop running but his mind never did! Jim enjoyed life and the outdoors. Camping, fishing, and hiking were some of his favorite activities, and going to Christmas Meadows in the Uintah’s to do them was his ultimate dream getaway. He also relished creating his huge vegetable garden every year to then share and enjoy the fruits of his labors. To go with the fresh fruits and veggies he grew, Jim also invented his own bread recipe, starting from scratch and grinding his own wheat. Since he loved ice cream and apple pie too, the apples from his trees would be transformed by Cheryl into wonderful pies and Jim would use his own Mom’s ice cream recipe to make the irresistible treat of homemade ice cream with raspberries fresh from the garden. Throughout Jim’s life, music was the song of his heart and when he was singing, playing the piano and guitar. or making up family raps, they were so much fun for him that he couldn’t help but smile. He loved musical movies and live performances, and even tried his own hand at songwriting with a song called “Glimpses of Joy.” Even in his final weeks, when he might not be able to formulate words, he would still place his cupped hands to his mouth and whistle a tune like only he could to the delight of other residents and employees of the Crescent care center. Whatever the activity, Jim thrived when he was engaged: writing and telling stories, joking, drawing, painting, puzzles and brain games, table and card games that he always seemed to win. Any book he read got filled up with margin notes, underlined passages, and thoughts and questions scribbled at the end of chapters. He was an avid golfer and loved the freedom of going to Hidden Valley Country Club to golf with others or just walk the course himself and practice to become the best he could be. He made lots of golf friends there and brought family and friends to golf with him and participated twice in the annual HOOK Tournament with his business partner and golf buddy Rob Moser, who took Jim all over the country to golf in his Pasa Tiempo golf tournaments. By the 2000-teens Jim knew his mind was changing and he made heroic efforts preserve his brain function as long as possible while preparing for the inevitable. This devastating disease had attacked his own Dad and several aunts and uncles. After a few years he publicly told everyone in Church at fast meeting that he had dementia and how much he loved Cheryl for taking such good care of him. But then on July 19, 2021, our lives would change forever after 2 emergency surgeries and 3 weeks in the hospital, and taking care of Jim would become a Wilhelm family team effort. Thank you to every family member, friends and neighbors, CNA health care givers and nurses from Rocky Mountain Health, Right at Home, and Tender Care Hospice for helping Cheryl prepare to become his primary care giver for the year 2022 until she could no longer take care of him even with home help. So, on January 12, 2023 with amazing assistance from all our children, Jim began living at the beautiful Crescent Senior Living Center in Sandy, Utah in the Memory Care Unit. Here he became the “Life of the Party” with his captivating smile and beautiful head of gray hair. He loved walking or running in the wide halls with or without his walker. We switched to Canyon Hospice at Crescent and had CNA aids seven days a week, along with their in-facility Nurse. Jim loved the music concerts in the assisted living area every week and karaoke, and was doing so good. Then his feet started swelling again and he began having too many falls and not sleeping well at night even with med changes. Then a series of falls on his right knee and right forehead was the beginning of his descent down the mountain. The Recreational Therapist in memory care put on a big birthday celebration for Jim on April 12, 2023, his 78th birthday with his favorite desert apple pie and ice cream, yet he never smiled as his body was changing from too many falls and pains. The next evening would result in two massive falls on his right forehead and an ambulance trip to the trauma emergency room of Murray IHC. Although he had no broken bones or concussion and didn’t need stitches, upon returning to Crescent that night, he would never get out of bed again as he lay trying to recover from the huge hematoma on his forehead and bruises on his eyes. The nurses and CNA's and med techs at Crescent loved and cared for Jim as he slept most of the time and rarely opened his eyes. His body and mind could no longer function together to help him eat and drink. We had small “Glimpses of Joy” during the next two weeks with many visits from family and friends who came even though he was sleeping and only occasionally would crack open his eyes. Thank you so much for all those at Crescent Senior Living who helped Jim enjoy his last 3 and 1/2 months as much as possible. In such a lovely place, he walked and ran the halls, preparing to make his final push towards the finish line of his fantastic marathon of mortal life. The loved ones who went before him cheered him across the finish line to congratulate and welcome Jim home as his final marathon run was completed on April 29th, 2023. And he probably said to them: “Get me some food!” Jim is survived by his loving wife Cheryl of almost 55 years. 6 children: Jeffrey Wilhelm, Stephanie Elkins (Steven), Natalie Frogley (Steve), Melissa Rodriguez (Lehi), Heather Carter (Michael) and John Wilhelm (Holly) 16+1 Grandchildren: Kaitlyn, Bryce and Tyler Frogley (+Carter Ailshie}; Thomas and Julianne Elkins; Eden, Allison, Seth and Josh Rodriguez; Grant, Lexi and Mason Carter; Siena, Ebba, Ivy and Oliver Wilhelm 2 Sisters: Pamela Koch (Steve) and Ann Chisholm (Terry) Brother and Sister-in-laws: Robert and JoEllen Anderson, Brian and Jan Anderson, Richard and Deb Anderson, Donna and Chris Butler, Anita and Steve Hansen and Jay Crandall (Glinda) and an army of nieces, nephews, cousins and special family and friends. Preceded in Death by his Parents, Brothers Lewis Kent, Robert Gene and Douglas Mark and Sister Phyllis Renae Crandall, Nephew Scott Anderson and Niece Tonya Wilhelm. The Funeral Service will be held Saturday, May 6th, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. in the Dimple Dell Ward Chapel of the Sandy Utah Crescent Stake Center on 10945 South 1700 East, Sandy, Utah. A Viewing will be held on Friday, May 5th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the same location and on Saturday morning May 6th from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. for those wishing to pay their respects. For those unable to attend in person you can watch virtually through zoom. The Funeral Service will be available for viewing for 30 days afterward. Jim will be laid to rest after a special military and family graveside service at Larkin Sunset Gardens 1950 E 10600 South, Sandy, Utah immediately after the funeral service. Thank you to Serenity Funeral Home for everything they have done to help the Wilhelm Family. Share condolence to the family at www.serenityfhs.com

James Hill Wilhelm

April 12, 1945 - April 29, 2023