James Edward Bourgeois Obituary

James Edward Bourgeois, 91, of Marinette, passed away peacefully, December 23, 2022. Born December 17, 1931 son of the late William and Frances (Ritz) Bourgeois, he was united in marriage to Eleanor Miller on August 8, 1953 at Lourdes Catholic Church in Marinette. Ellie preceded him in death June 13, 2013. James served his country honorably in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Following high school he attended Milwaukee School of Engineering for a period of time while working full time.
He was a lifetime employee and Marketing Manager in the Aerospace Division at Cutler-Hammer, now known as Eaton Corporation.
James and his family lived in Milwaukee, Whitefish Bay, six years in Smithfield, North Carolina, and Cedarburg, until recently when his health caused him to move to Marinette to be closer to family. For the last 20 plus years James spent winters in Bradenton, Florida soaking up the warm sun and making many new friends. He loved fixing and tinkering with projects. His wife complained she could never buy anything new because he would always fix what was broken.
He is survived by, a daughter, Debra Ann Bourgeois; grandchildren, Sarah (Jacob) Grassel and James Bourgeois III; great-grandchildren Calli, Trace, Dixie and Camille Grassel, and James Bourgeois IV; a daughter-in-law, Colleen Bourgeois; he is further survived by many other relatives and friends.
James was preceded in death by, his parents; his wife, Ellie of 60 years; and a son, James Bourgeois Jr; his siblings, Robert (Jean) Bourgeois, William Bourgeois and Shirley (Bob) Pearce.
A Mass of Christian burial will be held at St. Mary Catholic Church on Wednesday, Dec. 28th at 11:00 am with Fr. Edmundo Siguenza. Visitation will be prior to the funeral Mass at the church from 9:30 am until 10:45 am. Burial with military honors will take place at Riverside Cemetery in Menominee and will be announced at a later date.
In lieu of flowers a donation to your favorite charity would be welcomed.