James J. Mayer

James Joseph Mayer, age 89, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin passed away on August 2nd, 2020 at the Zablocki VA Medical Center. He was born on October 6th, 1930 on the family farm in Rudyard, MI; son of the late Isidore and Alma (Paquette) Mayer. James married Marion (Vincent) Mayer on July 1st, 1950, and together, they had 7 children. James served the Catholic Church for as long as he was able, beginning as an altar boy. He eventually went on to attend Saint Francis de Sales Seminary High School in St. Francis and was an acolyte in his later years. After working as a self-taught mechanic on the farm, James served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and was a Veteran of the Korean War. Upon returning home from Korea, he became a talented diesel mechanic in Milwaukee. Always wanting to stay busy, he was a truck driver well into his 70’s. As a self-taught violinist, James found peace in classical music. He was fluent in French and Liturgical Latin and had a wide range of interests, from biology to carpentry, the Green Bay Packers, hunting, and fishing. One of James’ proudest accomplishments was becoming Captain of a charter fishing boat on Lake Michigan. In his last days, he dreamed of going fishing out on the boat again and spending time at the family cottage. James is survived by his wife of 70 years, Marion; four sons: Steven (Bonny) Mayer of Winneconne, WI, Mark Mayer of Milwaukee, WI, Gary (Deb) Mayer of Franklin, WI, and Paul Mayer of Nevada; two daughters: Christine Mathes (Earl) of Spring Hill, TN, and Tina Fortuna (Joseph) of Washington, MI; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He is also survived by three sisters: Sister Mary Alma Mayer of Milwaukee, WI, Katherine Coffman of Mesa, Arizona, and Janet (Bob) Wieber of Houghton, MI; one brother: Rolland (Joanne) Mayer of Sault Ste. Marie, MI; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Isidore and Alma; his son, Daniel Mayer; seven brothers: Orel, Little Francis, Lawrence, Raymond, Francis, Paul, and Robert; two sisters: Lillian and Theresa; and two grandchildren: Danny and Lacey. James remained steadfast in his faith until his final day. God has welcomed you home, James, we will see you again. Father Tim from St. Joseph's Catholic Church will perform the burial service at the Rudyard Township Cemetery located at 18725 South Mackinac Trail, Rudyard, MI 49780 on August 16th at 11:30 AM. There will be a gathering afterward at the Pavilion in the Rudyard Township Park. Anyone planning to attend the burial and the gathering afterward physically, please message James daughter Tina Mayer-Fortuna at tina.acfmtg@gmail.com or at 586-615-0794. Anyone wanting to attend by live stream please, also message Tina with your phone numbers and emails and we will try to make that happen.