Born March 27, 1948. Died November 26, 2020 at the age of 72. His beloved son, James, Jr. (Jimmers) preceded him in death by six months. Cherished husband of Carol (nee Benske), awesome dad of Joe (Courtney), adored Grandpa Beep-Beep of Levi and Clark. Also survived by his sister Judith Sobczyk, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts, cousins, many nieces and nephews, and best friend Ken (Karen) Fenney.   Family and friends can click here to contribute to a GoFundMe established by James' family.   I remember the first time I saw my Dad cry. He was 40 years old (I was 5) and it was May of 1988. His father had just passed away in the hospital. The images of my Mom hugging him as he wept while trying to stay composed in front of his two sons remains sharp in my head while other events from that time are fuzzy at best. The next time was just 6 months ago, again in the hospital, when his oldest son (my big brother Jimmy) died while recovering from surgery at age of 39. This was the day my two boys saw me cry for the first time, also while their Mom held me tighter than she ever had in the past. As a child I really didn't understand grief, few do, and it would take 33 more years to have it hit me like a wrecking ball. The memory of my Mom consoling my Dad is very powerful and emphasizes the point that we don't grieve alone. It is helping me get through this difficult time and maybe the memory of my grief will help my children in the future. The last time I saw Dad cry, my Mom and I were each holding one of his hands after he had woken up in pain, confusion, and fear…he didn't know where he was and what was wrong with him. I let him know that he was in a hospice and that he was dying from stage 4 pancreatic cancer. We were both able to console him, and each other, until we were able to compose ourselves and my Dad fell back asleep. His condition rapidly declined from that point and we couldn't really have any more conversations of substance. Within a week, on Thanksgiving Day (11/26) around 2 AM, he passed away as my Mom sat beside his bed. I arrived shortly after to say goodbye. Although difficult, it was comforting for us to see him resting peaceful, which was something we hadn't seen in over 10 years as he struggled with MS and other medical conditions too. Those that knew him in his later years would say he was pleasant, chatty, generous, and optimistic despite everything he was going through. He never complained about the hand he was dealt and had a strong will to live. An avid "pun-slinger", he never missed an opportunity to slip in a bad joke or make a reference that his audience was too young to comprehend. I feel that this skill has passed on to me well, and like Darth Vader telling Kenobi…now I am the master! Prior to him not being able to fly due to mobility issues, he and my Mom were regular Las Vegas travelers and show-goers. They saw Meat Loaf, Jay Leno, Howie Mandel, Terry Fator, a multitude of Cirque de Soleil performances, Phantom of the Opera, Hairspray, and We Will Rock You along with the standard Las Vegas fare of the showgirl variety…They also gambled on the slots just a bit. They travelled there so often that they even made friends with one of the cocktail waitresses who still sends them Christmas cards even though it has been years since they've seen her. He eventually transitioned to the free online or computer slot games in his retirement using the handle "Gamblor" (Simpsons reference). This is one of the activities he continued until his last day of being able to do so. In fact, the day before his sharp decline in health, he told my Mom and I that he finally ran out of coins in his game…I guess it was a sign that the Gamblor had broke even. Fortunately, he also made it to Hawaii for one last trip with my Mom in 2005 as it always held a special place in his heart. It now does in mine too. It was one of his wishes to travel back there at some point, no matter the cost (he had some lavish ideas) to scatter some of my brother's ashes on the shores of Maui. This is now a trip we will be taking as a family to scatter them both together. My Dad was very dedicated to anything he committed to, including his job at Falk Corp. where he worked since he was 18 until his retirement at 60 as a Journeyman Machinist. He was an excellent provider for our family, frequently working overtime, weekends, holidays, and picking up off shifts to do so. The dedication to Falk was something that started when his Dad got him his first job there, and he did the same for my brother Jimmy. A member of my family had been working for Falk for over 80 years up until my brother's passing in May (…if you work at Falk/Rexnord now, I am not looking for a career change). Whatever he earned while working those extra all went to providing a better life for us in some shape or form and was often put towards vacations that we would have not been able to go on otherwise. Growing up we flew very little, only to Florida twice, but boy, did we drive. He was a self-proclaimed "King of the Road" in our Ford Windstar racking up miles to Chattanooga, Gettysburg, D.C., Niagara Falls, Florida, and of course Northern Wisconsin. Up North is probably where we went the most as kids. My parents would rent a cabin on a lake with a boat, and we would fish together (usually unsuccessfully but we had our moments) from sunup until someone had to poop. It was one of his hopes that he would be able to share this experience with his grandchildren, but his condition made it very unsafe. This is another way I will try to memorialize him and make sure my boys have similar life experiences. He also was a dedicated Scout leader (along with my Mom) and always volunteered to go on and drive to our many camping trips from when I was in 1st grade until I graduated high school. In doing so, he formed many friendships with other parents that lasted well beyond those years and had many interesting stories to tell regarding the late-night antics of the Dads…here I thought we were being bad for sneaking marshmallows and laughing loudly in our tents. Along with fishing and camping, he enjoyed other life-time recreational activities like bowling and hunting. The bowling I always knew about and is a hobby he passed along to me and my brother. I recently learned about the hunting from my Mom. He had been going hunting for years with friends but eventually stopped when he actually got a deer. Apparently, it wasn't the thrill of the hunt that he really enjoyed while at deer camp but more so the cribbage and comradery. He was born March 27, 1948, on the south side of Milwaukee where he was a part of the community his entire life. Graduated from St. Veronica Grade School in 1962 and Bayview High School in 1966. The halls of each establishment have yet to recover. He would have said so himself. My parents bought their first, and only, house from his life-long best friend Ken's family who just happened to live across the street from where he grew up with his parents and sister Judy. The stories and shenanigans that he and Ken would share about growing up together are nothing short of hilarious and unbelievable. We should all be so lucky and fortunate to say we had a friend for as long as they did. He had one love in his life, my Mom, and they were together for over 50 years (married for 49). Before my brother and I came into their lives, they both were beloved Aunt and Uncle to many nephews and nieces. I really appreciate those who have shared with me the positive impact they both had on their childhood. I am the man I am today because of the upbringing provided by my parents and brother. It is my hope that I can have an impact on others like he had and maybe even make their lives better in the process. As we are in the midst of COVID, we will not be having a public memorial service at this time but intend on doing so in the future. In lieu of flowers, my Mom and I set up this Gofundme site that will be used to create a living memorial of trees and perennials in his name. This is one thing we did for my brother and it means a lot to our family to have a place to reflect and remember, as memories are all we have left. -Written by James' son Joseph.  Prasser-Kleczka Funeral Homes Bay View Chapel 414-483-2322