James Jon DeWyze, 82, died on October 21, 2021 from complications of pneumonia. He was born on April 19, 1939 to Leon and Edna Rosenorn DeWyze in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from Von Steuben High School in 1957, having also worked as a projectionist in elementary school, a paper boy, a soda jerk, as well as being a football player, a hockey player, a gymnast, and getting a private pilot’s license.
After high school Jim attended college, worked as an electrician’s apprentice, ran the mail department at a major insurance company and helped remodel a mobster’s boat.
During the Vietnam War he was drafted and went into the Navy because it was a family tradition; His two older brothers having served in the Navy during WWII and the Korean War. Later his son Bryan served in the Navy during the Gulf War.
Jim became a Naval Cadet, which meant he passed a test to become an officer even though he didn’t have a college degree. He continued his dream of flying and became a skilled Navy pilot. Most of his career, he served with VP-22, searching for submarines. Jim had fabulous stories of his exploits and experiences in the Navy. VP-22 was deployed to Adak Island in the Aleutian (Alaska) in November 1966. At his first breakfast in the BOQ, he met several of the single school teachers who also lived there, including Beverly Petersen.
Jim was due to end his tour, but he extended for another 6 months to be on Adak a little longer. His courtship of Beverly was flamboyant, including bringing her a bomb bay full of flowers from Hawaii. In January ne broke his ankle after being blown down by a Williwaw (huge wind) while he was on duty on an ice-covered runway. After 3 months of being unsuccessfully treated on Adak, he was shipped to Hawaii for surgery.
He got out of the Navy on June 30, 1967, having been transported back to Chicago. He drove his trusty Rambler across the country to Delta, Utah, where he and Beverly were married on July 14, 1967.
Beverly taught school in Salt Lake City while Jim attended the University of Utah. In March, he got a job with Bonanza Airlines and they moved to Phoenix, where their daughter Michelle was born. When Bonanza merged with two other airlines, the newest pilots were laid off and Jim got a new job with Northwest Airlines. They moved across the country to Minneapolis- a drastic climate change from Phoenix. Bryan and Christine were both born in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis.
In 1975 they moved to Delta, Utah where Jim took over his father-in-law’s farm. He also worked as a welder for the railroad and in the gold mine as well as in security.
He became involved in rural Utah by serving in the short-lived Civil Air Patrol and the long-lived West Millard Sheriff’s Posse in which he served for over 40 years. He also joined the American Legion where he served as Commander of Post 135, then later as Commander of District 6, a job he still held when he died. He was proud to serve his country in both the Navy and the Legion. Jim and Beverly’s fourth child, Robert, was born in Delta where the family has lived since 1975.
Jim had many friends, enjoyed energetic political discussions at the Rancher Café, loved to tell stories, some of them true, and also loved long, roundabout drives. Particularly in recent years, Jim has logged countless hours piloting his truck (slowly) on the byways of Millard County. He will be sorely missed by his wife: Beverly; children: Michelle (Dee) Larsen, Layton; Bryan (Lesli), Herriman; Christy (Andy) Mair, Austin, TX; and Robert (Brooke) of Draper; and 14 grandchildren, as well as nieces and nephews and his dear cousin: Arlene Hall, whose mother was his father’s twin sister. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers: Robert and Donald; and his sister: Elaine.
A Graveside Service with military rites will be held on Tuesday, October 26, at 1:00pm in the Delta City Cemetery. The recorded video of the service will also be made available by Tuesday afternoon through the link on his obituary at www.nicklemortuary.com for friends unable to attend.