James Martin Waalkes
April 21, 1960 - September 2, 2012

James Waalkes had a heart of gold, and cheerfully went out of his way to help those around him. Genuinely concerned for others, Jim could talk to anyone, and was a great listener. These qualities made Jim an outstanding salesman and, more importantly, a true friend. His friendly smile, his kind heart, and his generous nature will live on in the hearts and minds of all those whose lives he touched.

James Martin was born on April 21, 1960, to proud parents Martin and Lois (Loughery) Waalkes. Jim was the middle child, with an older brother, Robert, and a younger sister, Susan. The Waalkes family lived in Marshall, Michigan, where Martin supported his family as a teacher and basketball coach. Lois was a homemaker, and eventually worked as a school secretary at Jims school. Lois always kept an eye on her kids at school, and was the first to know when Jim chipped his tooth on the playground slide! When Jim was still young, the family moved to Dowagiac, Michigan.

From an early age, Jim proved to be a talented athlete. He played football, basketball, and baseball, and lettered in each during high school. His best sport was baseball he was a pitcher. In between classes, practice, and games, Jim met a young lady named Lisa Hippensteel. Jim and Lisa hit it off right away, and dated on and off throughout high school. In the summers, Jim worked at Dwans Fruit Farm in Dowegiac (Lisa worked there as well, which is probably why Jim applied for the job!).

After graduating from high school, Jim and Lisa both attended Central Michigan University. Jim made the university baseball team, and played for Central until a shoulder injury ended his baseball career. A few years later, he graduated with a degree in psychology.

Jim and Lisa had remained close throughout their college days, and were delighted to invite friends and family to their wedding on June 16, 1984. Jim got a job as a salesman at Tru-Green, a lawn fertilizing company, where he would work for over ten years. Jim was a natural salesman his family remembers that he could sell you anything! Jim was recognized as Tru-Greens salesman of the year, and was awarded a cruise for that honor.

In his early years at Tru-Green, Jim and his wife moved quite often, as Jim helped to open new offices throughout the Midwest. As the years went by, Jim and Lisa were blessed with two wonderful children, whom they named Jennifer and Justin. Jim loved being a dad, and was very involved in his kids lives. He helped coach their soccer, basketball, and baseball teams, and could always be counted on to be cheering in the stands when they had a performance or competition.

The family eventually settled down in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where they attended the Fifth Reformed Church. Later, they would move to Cascade, Michigan, where they belonged to St. Matthew Lutheran Church. At both churches, Jim and Lisa had strong ties of friendship with fellow members, and Jim volunteered as an usher. For vacations, the family enjoyed camping, trips to Indian Lake in the Upper Peninsula, and large-scale family reunions at Torch Lake.

After working for Tru-Green, Jim moved to the Telecom industry, where he also worked in sales. He worked for a number of different companies, but eventually returned to Tru-Green a few years ago. In his free time, Jim was an avid golfer, and in fact enjoyed all games, from video games and pinball to mini-golf. He was also a big U-of-M football fan all the more so when his daughter Jennifer enrolled as a student.

Sadly, Jim was plagued for many years by an addiction to prescription pain killers. He wanted so much to be strong for his family, and fought bravely against the addiction, seeking help from family and friends and going to rehab. Although these challenges eventually caused his marriage to fail, Jim and Lisa remained close friends.

A few years ago, Jim was delighted to become a grandfather. His granddaughter was named Sofia, and Jim was thrilled to spend time with her. He was also close to his dog, Sydney, and took it hard when he died recently.

Kind-hearted, helpful, and giving, Jim was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend. He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by his many friends and family members.

James Martin Waalkes died on September 2, 2012, losing the battle against the demons he had been fighting for so many years. Although his family misses him terribly, they have found some comfort in the knowledge that he no longer suffers from pain.

Jims family includes his daughter, Jennifer Waalkes of Kalamazoo; his son, Justin Waalkes of Kalamazoo; his granddaughter, Sofia Hargett; his parents, Martin (Lois) Waalkes of Muskegon; his brother, Robert (Cathi) Waalkes of Muskegon; his sister, Susan (Bradley) Petty of Grand Rapids; and his former spouse, Lisa Waalkes of Grand Rapids.

A service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, September 7, with visitation 1 hour prior to the service, at St. Matthews Lutheran Church of Grand Rapids. Rev. Robert Appold will officiate. Interment will be at Riverside Cemetery in Dowagiac. Memorials may be made to the Humane Society of Kent County. Please visit Jims personal memory page at www.clockfuneralhome.com, where you can learn more about his life, share a favorite memory or photo, and sign the online guestbook.

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