James Boyd Wilcoxen, age 95, passed away April 29, 2024, at Thorne Care Center. Born June 18, 1928, in Hutchinson, to Lee Doyle Wilcoxen and Marceline Louise Huffman, Jim lived his entire life in Hutchinson.
On September 25, 1948, he married Ruth Lilly Miller, his sweetheart of 6 years. Having missed service in WW2, Jim enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve, serving 6 years plus 2 years in the Naval Construction Battalion, known as the "CB's". He rose to the rank of Petty Officer 3rd class with the responsibility of teaching Naval Indoctrination classes for new recruits.
On March 15, 1947, Jim began his professional career as a draftsman in the Engineering Department of Chalmers and Borton, Engineers and Contractors. Under the tutelage of Clint Chalmers he learned and developed structural engineering and mechanical engineering capabilities.
In 1961, Jim co-founded the Continental Engineering Company, specializing in the design of grain facilities, animal feed manufacturing plants, and rice mills. His expertise extended to designing automated glass batching plants, industrial dust control systems, and animal feed lots. In 1963, he also co-founded Kansas Sales & Service to sell mechanical equipment to those industries.
In 1964, Jim moved on, joining the Grain Equipment Manufacturing Company, a subsidiary of Borton Inc., as general manager of engineering and production. Upon GEMCO’s closure he joined Borton Inc. as a sales engineer, only to leave in 1974 to become Executive Vice President of Venturi Inc, an Illinois company. In this capacity he developed their Hutchinson office supervising engineering, shop fabrication, and facility construction.
Approached by a board member in 1976, Jim became Borton Inc’s Vice President and a board member. He served in all facets of the business until 1985 when he became President and CEO of the firm, overseeing the transition of the company from family ownership to employee ownership.
Retiring in 1994, Jim found inactivity boring, and returned to Borton as a construction consultant where he served as a mentor to young people in its engineering department. Finally in 2005 he hung it up for good. From starting as a draftsman to ending as a draftsman, he relished every experience of his career; never bored, always excited, and always learning.
Jim is survived by: his wife Ruth of 75 years of Hutchinson; son Kurt A. (Joyce) of Independence, MO; daughters, Andrea Jan Martin (Raymond) of Ridgefield, CT, and Adele Lea Wilcoxen Evans (Hos) of Overland Park; grandchildren, Kyle Wilcoxen, Dana Wilcoxen, Raymond Paul Martin, James Martin (Maria Claire), Graham Martin; 5 great-grandchildren; and youngest sister, Mary D. Krause of Shreveport, LA.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Doyle and Marceline, and sister, Jane Lees.
Funeral service will be 2 p.m. Friday, May 3, 2024, at Wesley Tower Evans Chapel, 3709 Asbury Drive, Hutchinson. Burial will follow in Fairlawn Burial Park.
Friends may call from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., with the family present to receive friends from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, at Elliott Mortuary, 1219 N. Main, Hutchinson, KS 67501.