James (Jim) Edward Blossfeld, age 92, of Roscommon, died on Monday, December 11, 2023, at The Brook of Roscommon, in the presence and comfort of his family.
Jim was born June 5, 1931, in Clinton, Iowa, the son of Seeman and Dorothy (Lehmkuhl) Blossfeld.
Jim was the third of their children: Robert, William (deceased), John (deceased), Seeman “Bud” and Sandra. They grew up in northeast Iowa, mostly on or near the Mississippi.
Jim attended the University of Iowa and received his degree in Commerce. He always wanted to fly, so he joined the US Air Force. But his less than perfect sight prohibited him from being a pilot, so, with his degree, he became a commissioned officer in charge of finance and budget at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.
After completing his military service during the Korean Conflict, he moved to Dearborn to take a position with Ford Motor Company in the long-term budget process for Product Development. He was instrumental in ensuring the long-term plans for plant retooling and car manufacturing ran well.
Jim met Gladys Carothers, a teacher in Dearborn, and was married on April 27, 1962, in Gladys’ home town of Minneapolis, MN. Soon after, their children Amy and Mark were brought into their loving home.
Beyond his devotion to his family, Jim would be found on the golf course. His love of the game turned into his retirement gig. After 35 years at Ford Motor Company, he became a golf course ranger at the Dearborn Hills Golf Club near their home in Dearborn.
His passion for golf was one of the main reasons he would travel with his golf clubs in tow. After purchasing a lot in Crawford County, Michigan, it gave him yet another reason to search out golf courses in Northern Michigan. Eventually, their son Mark would build “their cabin in the woods” retirement home. Jim loved to watch the wildlife, especially the bald eagles that he was so fond of while growing up on the Mississippi. As the years went by, Gladys and Jim became snowbirds, traveling to Arizona during the winter to visit family and, of course, more golf courses.
Jim will be greatly missed by his family and friends. His children Amy, her husband Steve, and son Mark as well as his grandchildren, Tony, his wife Ali, and Kate, will always remember him as the loving person that he was.
Gladys, his loving wife of 57 years, preceded him in death.
Jim’s family has chosen to remember him privately at this time. Later in 2024, Jim will join Gladys at Christ Church Dearborn Memorial Garden.
Jim’s family wishes to thank the many caregiving groups (including The Brook Roscommon and Compassus Hospice) that provided him with consistent care, compassion, and dignity during his final days and months.
Memorial donations can be directed to Marguerite Gahagan Nature Preserve in Roscommon, MI, to support Jim and Gladys’s love of nature in their community. Additional information can be found at https://www.gahagannature.org/donate
Arrangements have been entrusted to Wagner and Walsh Funeral Directors, Roscommon.
