James W. Maxey

April 19, 1937 – December 6, 2023

James (Jim) W. Maxey, 86, of Wausau, Wisconsin, died December 6, 2023. He was born on April 19, 1937, in Sterling, Illinois, to Charles O. and Ruth E. (Frederick) Maxey. He graduated from Morrison High School in 1955 and studied at Illinois State Normal University to become a math teacher. He joined the U.S. Air Force where he served as an in-flight radar technician. When he was stationed at McClellan Air Force Base, he met and married Bertha K. Baker in 1959 in Sacramento, California. They were married for over 20 years.

In the early 1960s, Jim worked for General Electric in Tucson, Arizona, on the Titan II Missile project. He then transferred to Germany where he worked as an electronic technician and instructor on two Air Force bases. He later became a computer engineer in Phoenix, Arizona, and San Jose, California.

Jim and his family left California for ranches in Idaho and Montana before they moved to Sturgis, South Dakota in 1970. Jim taught high school and post-secondary electronics there. He became head of the department, served in the Army National Guard Reserve, and received his B.S. in Education from South Dakota State University.

In 1978, Jim moved his family to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area where he worked as an instructor and systems engineer for multiple high-tech companies. In 1983, he returned to Phoenix, Arizona, and worked at several post-secondary degree schools as a Director of Training and then as a Campus Director at a technical school in Dallas.

Jim married Jill Walter, a native of Wisconsin, in 1985. After living in Phoenix and Kansas City, Missouri, they moved to Wausau, Wisconsin, where they worked together as a team of training consultants. His favorite job in Wausau was substitute teaching in the local middle and high schools in the late 1990s for approximately 10 years. He especially enjoyed teaching math and science classes.

After retirement, Jim enjoyed traveling, gardening, watching sports, taking care of both cats and dogs, and reading. He never stopped learning. He was a proud veteran of our military.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Peggy Ashurst. He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Jill Walter Maxey, daughter Kim Maxey of Osseo, MN, and son Jay (Bonnie) Maxey of Farmington, MN, as well as two granddaughters and a great granddaughter.

While we would love to hold a memorial service in Jim's name, he specifically requested no services take place. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to your local public library or animal shelter in his name.

"The important thing is to never stop questioning." – Albert Einstein