James Lee Mixen Obituary (1961

James "Jim" Lee Mixen passed away unexpectedly on May 22, 2023. He was born on February 9, 1961 in Chicago, IL to the late Robert and Carol (Kenzal) Mixen. Visitation for Jim will be held at Hager Memorial Funeral Home, Dwight, Tuesday, May 30th from 4-7pm. Memorial service will be held at the New Life Assembly of God, 903 S Old Rt 66, Dwight on Wednesday, May 31st at 10 am. Jim is survived by his daughters Amy (Ted) Turner of Campus, IL, Sarah (Hari) Anderson of Chesterfield MO, Jaime (Luke) Thompson, and Katie (Ryan) Kelly, both of Pontiac, IL; his grandchildren Reese, Stella, Aubrey, Hattie, Miles, and Gwen; and his former wife of 40 years, Sharon M. (Shelton) Mixen, of Pontiac, IL. Also surviving are five siblings Robert (Valerie) Mixen of Cornell, IL, Kathy (Mike) Noonan of Dwight, IL, Tom (Emma Lou) Mixen of Macon, MO, Bill (Sharon K.) Mixen of Pontiac, IL, Patrick (the late Betty) Mixen of Streator, IL, sister-in-law Anne Mixen of Wilmington, IL and former in-laws Fred and Pat Shelton of Dwight, IL. He was fondly known by numerous nieces and nephews as "Uncle Jimmy." He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Carol Mixen; his brother John Mixen and his grandsons Benjamin and Samuel Turner. Jim was very active in his community. He served as Mayor of the Village of Dwight and was also a Village Trustee. Jim was a member of the VFW Men's Auxiliary for many years. Jim worked as a highway maintainer for the Illinois Department of Transportation out of Pontiac. He dedicated over 25 years of service before retiring in 2011. Jim conquered prostate cancer in 2013, making him cancer free for 10 years. Jim was a man of many things - dad, husband, papa, father-in-law, brother, son, uncle, and friend to many. He knew no stranger and was willing to help anyone when asked. His pride and joy were his daughters and grandkids, and he would always boast about them to anyone around. Jim was the first to laugh at his own jokes and never found an ice cream flavor he didn't like. A favorite hobby of his was being his own "independent" used car salesman, buying, and selling possibly over 100 cars in his lifetime. He was an avid cleaner with perfect carpet and lawn mower lines. Jim will be missed by all those fortunate enough to have known him. His memory will live on through his family and most especially his favorite people - the ones who called him "Papa". In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society or the donor's choice.