James Bearman

James A. "Jim" Bearman, 68, a resident of rural Churubusco, passed away at 12:55 p. m. on Thursday, June 17, 2010, at Parkview North Hospital in Fort Wayne. He had been in declining health since April. Mr. Bearman was born in Fort Wayne on August 1, 1941, a son of Walter Louis and Dorothy Irene (Oehler) Bearman, and graduated from New Haven High School in 1959. On April 28, 1962 he was married in New Haven to Kay Irvin. The couple spent their married lives in Allen County until moving near Churubusco in 1988. Employed as a truck driver for 53 years, he also served as terminal manager, sales representative, regional sales manager, and regional operations manager for C. W. Transport. He retired in 2008 from Brother's Express in Fort Wayne. He was a member of Columbia City Lodge 639 F&AM, Scottish Rite, Valley of Fort Wayne, and Mizpah Shrine in Fort Wayne. From 1956 to 1965 he played tenor saxophone and sang with the Tear Drops Band. He loved to interact with children at the Shrine Circus, and enjoyed fishing and bowling. One of his favorite things was "cheating" at Gin Rummy and Euchre. The surviving relatives include his wife, Kay; two daughters, Kyla (Douglas) Kensill and Kimberly (Terry) Tombaugh, both of Churubusco; and a granddaughter, Alta Marie Kensill of Churubusco. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two sisters, Judy Bearman and Janice Boby. Funeral services will be held at 1 p. m. on Monday, June 21, at the Sheets & Childs Funeral Home in Churubusco with Pastor Steve Rayburn, officiating. The family will receive friends at the mortuary on Monday after 10 a. m. Columbia City Lodge 639 F&AM will conduct memorial services at 12:30 p. m. Monday at the mortuary. Interment will be in the Eel River Cemetery, south of Churubusco. For those who wish, memorials may be directed to Parkview Home Health & Hospice or Shriner's Hospital.