James A. Billings

James Arthur Billings of Toledo was called home Saturday, January 12, 2019 at the age of 91. Born April 17, 1927 to James R. and Dorothy Billings of Sylvania Township, he married Mary Louise Hunter on October 5, 1946. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army where he worked as a mechanic at the end of WWII. A hard-working man, Jim was a man of many talents. As a small-scale farmer he enjoyed gardening and raising animals on his Ponderosa in Temperance, MI. He worked many jobs over the years but primarily for Kuhlman Concrete, from where he retired after 35 years working as a mechanic, truck driver, crane operator and general hey you man. He could build or fix almost anything and loved tinkering in his workshop. On September 11, 1999 he married Norma Hutt and moved from Temperance to Toledo. Together they enjoyed many years of gardening, camping in northern Michigan, and hunting morel mushrooms. When his health declined he donated his valuable life-long collection of tools to Cherry Street Mission to help others learn a new skill. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Mary, and his great-grandson Mitchell Votry. He is survived by his loving wife, Norma; 3 sisters, Zelah Kocinski, Vera Sliwinski, and Louise Laughlin; 7 devoted daughters, Sandra (Gary) Cole, Nancy Johnston, Kathleen (Russel) Brown, Diana (Don) Niemesh, Beth Hannum, Laura (Rodney) Cole, and Amy (Mark) Corron; 3 step sons, Robert (Donna) Hutt, Gary (Deborah) Hutt, and Tom (Lynn) Hutt; 30 grandchildren; 61 great-grandchildren; and 1 great-great grandchild. A funeral service will take place at Christ the King Lutheran Church, 2843 W. Sterns Rd, Lambertville, MI 48144 on Saturday, February 2, 2019 at 11:00 A.M. A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, April 20, 2019 with times to be announced at Northwest Christian Church, 1590 W. Temperance Rd, Temperance, MI 48182. Memorials may be made to Christ the King Lutheran Church, Lambertville, MI. Witzler-Shank Funeral Home, Trilby (419-473-1301). Condolences and memories can be shared at: www.witzlershanktrilby.com