James C. Mingee

James Cleveland Mingee, 90, beloved husband, father and grandfather, passed away May 10, 2016 in Aurora, Colorado. He was born September 22, 1925 in Picayune, Mississippi to William M. and Eunice V. Hinson Mingee. He graduated from Central High School in Jackson, Mississippi in 1943. James served in the United States Navy from 1943-1946; the US Naval Reserve from 1947-1957, serving as a Commissioned Officer from 1947 to 1959. He graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1947. James worked for Gulf Oil Corporation from 1947 to 1983, retiring as a Vice President. James married Marilyn Jean Schacht, July 2, 1949 in Rockford, Illinois. The couple lived in many places over the years as James pursued his career at Gulf including Tulsa, OK, Wichita KS, Venezuela, Houston TX, Tokyo Japan, and Pittsburgh PA. James and Marilyn took advantage of these assignments to travel with the family extensively in the US as well as Central America, Asia and Europe. James and Marilyn moved to Denver in 1975 where they settled in Greenwood Village before moving to St. Andrews Village in 2007. They were members of First Plymouth Congregational and Cherry Creek Evangelical churches for many years. Jim was a devout Christian who loved Jesus and gave back to the church in numerous ways. James was an avid life-long woodworker who had a passion for it. He filled his house with fine furniture crafted from woods local to the many places they lived. His many gifts to his children included pieces of furniture. He had a long-term dream that one day he would build a house. That dream was fulfilled when he and Marilyn completed a vacation home in 1979 in the mountains of Keystone CO, doing all of the inside work themselves and creating a treasure for the family to enjoy for years to come. James is survived by his wife, Marilyn; their children, Thomas J. (Janet) Mingee, Sacramento CA; Jo Anne (Ron) Dahlin, Suwanee GA; and Michael W. (Bambie) Mingee, Centennial CO; five grandchildren: Matthew (Rachel) Dahlin, Stephen (Kate) Dahlin, Brett (April) Dahlin, Courtney Mingee and Marissa Mingee; and 10 great-grandchildren. A Memorial service will be held on Monday, May 23, at 11:30am, St. Andrew's Village (in the Community Hall), 13801 E. Yale Ave., Aurora, CO 80014. Following the service, friends and family are invited to stay for a light reception. Burial with Military Honors will be at 2:30pm, at Fort Logan National Cemetery, 3698 S. Sheridan Blvd, Denver, area 'B'. Memorial donations may be made to St. Andrew's Village.