James McGinness

James D. McGinness, age 78, died at St. Mary’s Medical Center on March 29, 2009 from complications of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. Jim grew up in Evansville, a 1948 graduate of Bosse High School and the University of Evansville. He worked for 25 years as a chemist for the Sherwin-Williams Company in Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit. He then returned to Evansville to work 22 years for the Red Spot Paint and Varnish Company where he founded and managed three different research departments. During his career he gave many technical talks and published several papers on spectroscopy and coatings. He was an emeritus member of the American Chemical Society and the Federation of Societies for Coatings Technology and among several others over the years. Jim was active in the St. Philip Catholic Church Stewardship Committee, enjoyed working on Habitat homes and on his own building, gardening and landscape projects. In his lifetime he has planted hundreds of trees for others to enjoy. In earlier years he was active in scouts serving as committee chairman and assistant scoutmaster. He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Mary McGinness; five children, Jim McGinness and wife, Gail Coad of Amherst, NH, John McGinness of University Park, IL, Carol Flin, and her husband, Mark of Mesa, AZ, Michael McGinness of Boonville, IN and Katie St. John and her husband, Bryan of Columbus, OH. Also surviving are three step-children and their spouses, Shannon and Bill Helfrich of Mt. Vernon, Dan and Michele Donovan and Erin and Brian Helfrich of Evansville; seventeen grandchildren and one great grandchild. Funeral services for Jim will be held on Thursday, April 2, 2009 at 10:00 A.M. at St. Philip Catholic Church, Rev. Tom Kessler officiating. Burial will follow in St. Philip Church Cemetery. Friends may visit with the family from 2:00 until 8:00 P.M. on Wednesday at Pierre Funeral Home, 2601 W. Franklin Street where there will be a memorial service conducted by the church at 4:30 P.M. Thursday, friends may also visit from 9:30 A.M. until service time at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Philip Catholic Church or Habitat for Humanity. Friends may leave condolences online at www.pierrefuneralhome.com.

James McGinness

June 23, 1930 - March 29, 2009