James Stanley Mcevoy

James ("Jim") S McEvoy, age 84, of Cottleville, Missouri, passed away on February 11, 2021 at DePaul hospital in St. Louis. He was born on July 29, 1936 in Aurora, Illinois to the late Etola (Roland) Matter and James S. McEvoy. He went to Aurora East High School. Jim was a Navy Corpsman from 1954-1957 after high school. He met Patricia Susan Murphy at a party on a boat. They were married on August 4, 1962 in Aurora, Illinois. They moved to St Louis, Missouri not long after so he could work at his father's chemical company, HH Coleman, which he later purchased from his father. He sold the business in 1987 and worked for competitors for several more years through semi-retirement finally calling it quits when he was 70. They lived in Florissant for 34 years where they raised their three boys, several exchange students and many of our friends before moving to Cottleville in 1998 where they spoiled their 7 grandkids at what their sons referred to as the "Country Club of Cottleville."

Jim lost the battle against COVID-19 which he contracted after his very first surgery in 84 years while staying in a post-surgical rehab facility. He fought hard for his family but got to a point he could not continue the battle. Jim was adamant he did not want to be kept alive if he could not recover on his own. His boys honored his wishes and turned him over to God. COVID-19 is real, and it is devastating what it can do to the human body. Please stay safe always during this time.

Jim was one of a kind, who else puts a beer tap on the kitchen sink where the black spray gun goes? When you met him you knew right away what kind of person he was and how you stood with him. If he did not like you he would be sure to tell you. If he did not like what you were doing he would tell you, often letting people know "they did not know their bottom from a hole in the ground" or that "they were as useless as tits on a bull." He had more one-liners than Rodney Dangerfield, but his weren't jokes, it was just how he communicated to you.

Jim was a member of Gateway Masonic Lodge #46, Moolah Shrine and the Moolah Motor Patrol for over 50 years riding a full-dress Harley in parades until he was 75 years old. He also later joined the Daniel Boone Shrine club where he forged even more Shrine friendships. He sold circus tickets every year and never missed a circus parade. He was a Sargent, Lieutenant and Captain of the Motor Patrol, positions he took great pride in. He volunteered in his retirement to work in the Shriners Hospital for Children because he loved the work the Shriners did for kids.

An avid scuba diver, he logged over 200 dives with his last being at the age of 82. He took up scuba diving in his 60's and claimed had he done it earlier in life he would have died broke. We are glad he waited! He loved his toys as well, having motorcycles, boats, and a cabin in the woods for many years to which it was a decade long battle to create the best lakeview. He cut the trees up, his kids had to carry the wood up the hill back to the cabin. Water was clearly a passion of his with scuba diving and boats on the Fox River (Aurora, IL and the river he met Pat), Lake Wanda Lee (Rocky Ridge Ranch) and the Mississippi River. He always had an inground pool in St. Louis and actually tracked the work time versus the fun time and claimed "it was 12 hours of work to 1 hour of enjoyment ratio." But he loved the water regardless and did it for his family to enjoy. Every summer he made sure his pool was open and ready for the grandkids and all of their friends. He made sure everyone of his kids and grandkids learned how to swim and dive off of a diving board.

He was proud of many things, his kids, his grandkids, great grand kids, his dogs (the last being Zippy) and his custom 8- foot round bed he had made in the 60's which he carried a picture of in his wallet (and not pictures of his kids since "that is where we all came from anyway"). He would come to his kids and grandkids sports, even coaching his kids' soccer teams despite actually hating the sport. When he moved to St. Louis, he thought soccer was a form of boxing as he had never heard of it. He loved to have a good time and loved being around people. He spent 18 years wintering with fellow Shriners in Gulf Shores, Alabama where he picked up a love for Alabama football and the "greatest college coach ever, Nick Saban." Every winter he could not wait to go to the gulf and live by the water and spend time with lifelong Shrine friends. Being in the presence of family and loved ones was very important to him; so important that his favorite thing to say upon departing from his company was "I'm glad you got to see me," with a grin so wide that you couldn't help but also be glad you got to see him too.

He will be missed by many and at this point would tell us to "stop Mickey Mousing around already" and be done with writing this obituary.

He is survived by a whole gang of people he loved. His wife Patricia Susan (Murphy) McEvoy; his step sister Sharon (Lible)Tremble; his three sons James Shawn (Lori) McEvoy, Shannon Patrick (Amy) McEvoy, and Kyle Lee (Kerry) McEvoy, and seven grandchildren Rachel Brown, Kaitlin (Dan) Stopka, Gavin, Kiergan, Jake, Killian, and Evan McEvoy; great grandchildren Madison, Jayden and Harper; nieces and nephews Bridget (Kevin) Didier, Tara (Tom) Sutherland, Todd Roscoe, and Craig (Lizzie) Roscoe.

In lieu of flowers or just because Jim would want you to, please consider donating to the Shriners Hospital for Children-St. Louis in the name of Jim McEvoy. We have arranged a memorial fund to contribute to in his name. Donations can be mailed as follows:

Shriners Hospital for Children-St. Louis
Attention: Development
4400 Clayton Road
St. Louis, MO 63110

Payee: Shriners Hospital for Children-St. Louis
Memo Line of Check: Jim McEvoy Memorial Fund

Jim did not want a funeral but rather a celebration of life event which will be scheduled in the coming months when congregating is much safer.

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