Jim Elliott Jr., 62

James Grady Elliott Jr., age 62, of White Pigeon, passed away early Friday morning July 13, 2018, at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo.
He was born June 11, 1956, in Fontana, Calif., a son of James Grady and Amelia Imogene (Branton) Elliott.
Jim had resided in White Pigeon for more than 20 years and also lived in Sturgis for a number of years.
On Nov. 5, 2011, he married Becky Engle in White Pigeon.
Jim had been employed by Syndicate Systems, Save-A-Lot, Reese Hitch, Lake Park Homes and Precision Speed. While living in California, he was an emergency medical technician and firefighter.
He was a member of Lighthouse Church of the Nazarene in White Pigeon. Jim was a loyal fan of NASCAR and always followed the careers of the Earnhardts. Jim enjoyed model-building, auto racing, burn-outs and attending car shows.
James was proud to have served his country in the U.S. Army during Desert Storm, earning the rank of SP4.
He is survived by his wife, Becky; his mother, Amelia I. Hamilton; four sons, Thomas (Deborah Rodriguez) Keckler of Huntington, Ind., Donald (Cynthia) Keckler of Sherwood, William (Teresa) Keckler of Middlebury, Ind., and James Edward Elliott of New Castle, Ind.; a stepdaughter, Tasha (Bruce) Joyal of Holton; a stepson, Travis Klinger of Sturgis; 12 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; three sisters, Karen (Kenny) Arsneault of Union City, Shannon Boston-Pate of Vincennes, Ind., and Tamara Freed of Corpus Christi, Texas; a brother, Danny Hamilton of Copperas Cove, Texas; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his father; his first wife, Blanche Elliott; a nephew, Danny Hamilton; and a sister-in-law, Patricia Salisbury.
In accordance with his wishes, cremation has taken place. A memorial service celebrating the life of James G. Elliott Jr. will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Hackman Chapel of Hackman Family Funeral Homes, 114 S. Nottawa St., Sturgis. The Rev. Daniel Griffes of Lighthouse Church of the Nazarene will officiate. A graveside committal will take place at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Fort Custer National Cemetery in Augusta, where full military honors will be conferred by Fort Custer Honor Guard and the U.S. Army Honor Guard.
Memorial donations to the family would be appreciated, to help with expenses.
His obituary is also at www.hackmanfamilyfuneralhomes.com, where personal messages of support may be left for the family.