James Wade Myers

March 3, 1961 ~ February 9, 2024

James Myers, 62, Sioux Falls, passed away at the Dougherty Hospice House, on Friday, February 9, 2024, at 10:33 AM. A few days before his passing, he told me that when he died, the last thing he would see would be my beautiful face. I held his hands and he looked at me as he took his last 3 breaths. What an honor for me. What an honor to be able to share the brief time we did have together.

A Celebration of Life is scheduled for 5-7pm, Friday, February 16, 2024, at Heartland Funeral Home. Full Military Honors will start the Celebration at 5pm.

James Wade Myers was born on March 3, 1961, in Estherville, IA, to Lillian and Merlynn (Jack) Myers. Known to all as Jim, he was the youngest of 6. He was definitely the baby of the family, coming in 10 years below his sister, Janet. Jim enjoyed telling the story of playing the role of “crash test dummy” when Janet was learning to drive.

Jim grew up in Estherville and enjoyed many adventures with his longtime friends, Brad and Steve. After high school, he moved to attend the Kansas City Institute of Technology while working full-time as well. He was encouraged by his brother, Joe to join the Airforce and he became an Aircraft Armament System Specialist. He spent 3 years in England at RAF Laken Heath. He then came to Hill Air Force Base where he completed his tour of duty during The Cold War, with an honorable discharge and received the Air Force Achievement Medal for implementing tool kits on the flight line that were all uniform, Air Force Good Conduct Medal, Air Force Overseas Long Tour Ribbon and Air Force Training Medal.

Various adventures took him to Florida, where he started a business with a friend selling and installing lightning rods, back to Oklahoma where he took school pictures, and eventually back to South Dakota to work at Gateway Computers where he met Sara Kolb, whom he married in 2013. Sara had a 3-year-old son, David whom Jim raised as his own. During much of this time, he worked for a company called “Size Wise” selling medical equipment, specifically beds to help prevent bed sores. Jim loved and excelled at his job. He received many awards for sales goals and was a well-loved coworker and employee. “Size Wise” was purchased by another company and Jim’s position, along with 20 others, was eliminated. He was given a nice severance package and at the time he was going through marriage issues and decided to take time to find himself. During that time, he read everything he could get his hands on. He read about marriage. He read about divorce. He read about all the different religions. He became a Reiki Master. Mostly, he learned that love is all there is. He often spoke about unconditional love. The love we have for friends and family. Spouses – it’s all love and it should just be given with no conditions attached. He began to come to a place where he truly loved himself and after that, nothing else really mattered. Jim was a giving person. He believed that if you give to others with pure intention, it will come back to you eventually.

It would be remiss not to mention Jim’s passion for motorcycles. Harleys in particular. He loved the community and how motorcycles brought people together. He loved the roar of the pipes and wind in his hair. Jim loved guns. He could be watching a movie and tell you exactly what kind of gun they had or if it was modified or bogus. He was passionate about the 2^nd Amendment and the Constitution in general. He took his oath as a soldier very seriously. If he wasn’t making people laugh with his spot-on accents and quick wit, he was doing what he could to help others.

In August of 2022, Jim was ready to go back to work and found himself applying for a job as a neuropathy coordinator. Something he would say was “totally out of my wheelhouse”.  It was there that he met the love of his life, Heidi. Their courtship was unconventional and short. In January of 2023, Jim was diagnosed with Stage 4 Kidney Cancer after having a kidney stone. Surgery was quickly taken off the table and the chemo battle had to begin. Jim and Heidi were married in their home on March 18, 2023, by Jim’s nephew, Paul Sunde. It was magical and intimate. Jim began the fight of his life the next day. Jim had lived through so many “near death” experiences in his life and we honestly thought this was not going to be what took him out.

Jim will be deeply missed by his wife, Heidi, Sioux Falls; stepson, David Kolb, Sioux Falls; son, Joel, Tulsa, OK, along with 2 grandchildren; sister, Sharon (Dick) Kelly, Mason City, IA; brother-in-law, Dick Sunde, Vermillion, sister-in-law, Mary (Joseph); sister, Sandy (JC) Dawald, Northwood, IA; brother, John (Yvonne) Myers, Muskogee, OK; as well as numerous cousins, nephews, a niece, and great-nephews.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Lillian and Jack; grandparents; his brother, Joseph; and sister, Janet.