Obituary of James Harold Huff

James Harold Huff, 90, peacefully passed away Wednesday, February 21, 2024 at Carondelet Village, in St. Paul Minnesota.

FAMILY: Jim was born to Harold and Isabel Huff in Salem, Illinois, December 10, 1933. He was their second child following the death of a seven-year-old sister, Bobbi Lou, in 1932 who died from diphtheria. A younger sister, Rosemary came into the family a few years later. She and her husband Virgil had two children, Jim’s niece and nephew, Cheryl and Greg.

EARLY YEARS: Jim left a short auto biography that describes growing up on a small farm of 60 acres raising vegetables, as well as, sheep, cows, pigs and chickens. They lived in a small house in rural Salem, IL His Mother raised the children and enjoyed quilt-making and embroidering. His Father was both a farmer and a contractor who built houses, sheds, and barns. During the depression they didn’t have much money but plenty of food. In Salem, he attended first, second and third grade in a one room schoolhouse. When World War II broke out, all the building supplies available went to the war effort. His Dad was without work. They moved to Sullivan IL where his Dad found work as an electrician at Block Engineering and was later promoted to plant engineer. Jim finished grade school and attended high school in Sullivan IL.

COLLEGE YEARS: Jim attended college in Carbondale IL in the early ‘50’s with a specialty in science. Jim explains that he was a fairly good student because he needed a B average to avoid being drafted into the Korean Conflict. He applied for Student Work on campus and was assigned to supervise the “Girls Dormitory.” Jim describes how much he enjoy this assignment – work with the “girls”! Yes, Jim’s humor.

After college during the mid-1950’s, Uncle Sam still needed soldiers so he was recruited for security purposes to protect the country. Jim had “great scores” in science as he loved learning about plants, animals, and the universe. Jim had a sense of detail and a quiet, kind demeanor so was recruited to register and process new soldiers. He served as Quartermaster in Fort Carson, Colorado. Later he was sent to Alaska and worked in finance as the paymaster making sure all the soldiers received their spending money. After one and a half years in Alaska, Jim describes how they told him “the country loves you very much so we grant you a ‘good conduct recommendation’ and suggest that you ‘beat it.’ As a good soldier I obeyed and returned to Illinois.” Jim had a sense of humor.

WORKING YEARS: From 1958 to 1965, Jim taught seventh and eighth grade science and social studies in Mason City while he attended summer graduate courses receiving a Masters in Administration at Southern Illinois State University. He found a new teaching job in the Kankakee IL School district that lasted until his retirement 25 years later. He initially taught sixth grade, became assistant principal, and eventually principal of Mark Twain Elementary School for almost twenty years. He spent recess and lunch hour on the playground getting to know the students. He loved to bring his telescope to the school parking lot at night and look at the heavens; he invited the children and their parents to enjoy the night visions as well! He was a quiet and organized leader who loved the children. The faculty loved Jim and dearly missed him when he retired in 1989 at the state required age of 55.

LOVE LIFE! In the Fall of 1970, Susan Margaret Berres from St. Paul, MN, arrived at his school as the new School Counselor. He fell in love that Fall. By Thanksgiving, he traveled to Minnesota with Sue to meet her family of eight and by Christmas they were ready to be married the day after. For 44 years until Sue’s passing in 2015, they enjoyed their lives together first in Kankakee for twenty years (raising many types of plants, as well as dozens of fish, an iguana, and Lhasa apsa.) He had a basement full of beer making equipment and wall full of a collection of beer cans! He then retired to Hot Springs AR and after seventeen years due to health reasons, spent another fifteen years settling in St. Paul MN.

RETIREMENT: In 1989 Jim and his wife, Sue, moved to Hot Springs, Arkansas. Together they enjoyed life in a lovely home on Lake Hamilton touring the lake and its bays on the pontoon and often in their kayaks. Jim had a large rose garden, fruit trees (he even tried a banana tree); he harvested his own impatiens seeds to have gardens full of red flowers. They served at St. Mary’s Church, as well as, the Mid-America Science Museum where they regularly volunteered giving tours for school groups explaining the wonders of the universe, animals, and plants. For their volunteer service, Jim and Sue were honored with the Presidents’ Lifetime Award and the Governor’s Volunteers Excellence. After 4000 hours as volunteers, they received the United States Service and Civic Participation Award.

AGING: Jim gradually developed myasthenia gravis, a disease of the nervous system and became blind while Sue had increasing problems from diabetes. In 2007, they moved to St Paul for care. They found an Independent Living and eventually Assisted Living apartments as they needed more medical attention at a Presbyterian Home. Sue passed in 2015 leaving Jim alone at Timber Hills Home for another three years. Needing more help, he transferred to the Care Center of another Presbyterian Home, Carondelet Village, with the Sisters of St. Joseph where he lived until his passing in 2024.

JIM: Jim loved science: plants, animals, and the universe. His plants filled each of his homes; animals resided in fish tanks, gerbil cages and a glass house for the iguana. He made rockets to shoot off into the skies. Jim loved making (and drinking) his beer. Jim was a kind, unassuming man, always thoughtful and grateful. Sue was very creative, outgoing and energetic. In his quiet way, he was always there to support her. At the nursing home he often would say to the staff: “Don’t worry about me. Go look after her…” When he came back from dinner, he would say to the staff, “Now you go and have your own dinner. We will be okay here.” In his room of six years, Jim quietly slept into his eternal reward.

Jim is now our ‘saint’ in heaven – the ever kind, thoughtful, quiet man of love.

Preceded in death by parents, Harold and Isabel Huff; late wife, Sue (Berres) Huff. Survived by niece Cheryl Amoruso and nephew Greg Moore of Houston, TX; in-laws, Caroline Berres, OSC, Paul (Edna) Berres, Annette Malone, Charlotte Berres, CSJ. Funeral services February 24 at Carondelet Village St Paul. 10:00 Visitation; 10:30 Hymns & Memories; 11:00 Mass.