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Obituaries » James "Jim" E. Beougher

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January 2, 1946 - May 2, 2019

A graveside service for family and close friends will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 11, 2019 at Mountain Home Cemetery in Kalamazoo, followed by a 12:00 p.m. memorial at Martini’s Pizza, 832 S. Westnedge Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49008.  Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice Care of Southwest Michigan.

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Age 73, passed away on May 2, 2019 at his son’s home in Kalamazoo, Michigan.  Jim was born on January 8, 1946, in San Francisco, CA; where his parents met while his father was serving in the Army.  After the end of World War II, he moved to the family farm in Merrill, MI.  Jim grew up working on the farm with his father and three brothers.  Living and working on the farm instilled in him both a great work ethic and a love of the land.  Jim attended Western Michigan University as an undergraduate where he studied political science and as a graduate student where he received a master’s in social work.  He spent his entire career working to protect children.  It was his calling in life.  Beginning as a case worker in Saginaw, MI, he worked his way up to becoming the Director of Child Protective Services for the State of Michigan.  After working in Michigan for 30 years, he took a job as the Director of the Office of Child and Family Services in Maine.  While at Office of Child and Family Services in Maine, Jim helped to lead a transformation in the way the agency met the needs of children and families.  By the time he left, Maine’s child welfare system was one of the best in the country.

Jim was devoted to family, especially his grandchildren, Glenna, Claire and Simon.  He was a passionate antique collector and dealer, an activity which he shared with his wife, Vickie.  Many of his closest friendships were with the men and women with whom he shared this passion.  A lifelong member of the Democratic Party, Jim supported candidates in both Maine and Michigan, although he bemoaned the fact that the ones he supported rarely won.  Along with his entire family, he was a University of Michigan sports fan.  Until this past fall when illness prevented him, he had attended at least one home football game at Michigan stadium for the past 30 years.  Jim’s love of nature and the land lead him to his interest in photography.  He especially enjoyed photographing the rugged coast of Deer Isle, Maine where his family vacationed every summer. He was also an avid gardener and spent many hours in his own garden and assisting in the gardens of friends and family.

Jim is survived by his daughter, Dawne Beougher; son, Mark Beougher; grandchildren, Glenna Aldag, Claire Beougher and Simon Beougher.  His brothers, Dennis (Robin) Beougher, Thomas (Jackie) Beougher and Gary (Karen) Beougher; six nieces and nephews and 11 great-nieces and nephews.  He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Vickie Nimmo and parents, Clarence and Eleanor (Ghelken) Beougher.