JAMES (JIM) BARNHART

James “Jim” Paul Barnhart, age 78, went to be with our Lord and Savior on June 18, 2022, at Hospice of Northwest Ohio, Perrysburg, after a two-year battle with cancer, kidney and heart failure,

Jim was born in Springfield, on March 1, 1944, to Everett and Irene (McConkey) Barnhart. After moving to Toledo, Jim graduated from St. Francis de Sales grade school and graduated from Central Catholic High School Class of 1962. Jim received his associate degree in architectural drafting from Stautzenberger College.

Jim’s working career was with Scholz Homes, Donald J. Scholz Design Company and Scholz Design, retiring in 2010 as vice president of design and engineering.

Jim met his future wife, Christine Gorka, at Junior Achievement, and they became high school sweethearts, even though Jim attended Central Catholic, and Christine attended Rossford. They were married on May 15, 1965, at St. Mary Magdalene’s, Rossford, and just celebrated 57 years of marriage. They were blessed with two children and seven grandchildren.

During retirement, Jim kept busy being involved with Meals on Wheels and Habitat for Humanity of Wood County for almost 20 years. Being an artist, Jim was a member of Prism, and his art was selected to show at the Toledo Museum of Art. He was always experimenting with new forms of art, the latest one encaustic painting (with wax) and fused glass. He enjoyed golf and played in several leagues. His passion was also for pickleball, and enjoyed playing at Toledo Pickleball in Rossford, the Perrysburg Y and Perrysburg courts. Jim loved to have projects in his home, his children’s and grandchildren’s homes. He was always working on a project or two. Jim and Chris also had seven years of spending winters in Florida, where they made lasting friendships.

Jim is survived by his wife, Christine; son, Timothy Barnhart (Colleen), Sylvania; daughter, Annemarie Weller (Paul Howes), Golden, Colorado; grandchildren, Sean (Nicolle), Alec, Ryan, Kate, Abbey, Aric and Madeline; sisters-in-law, Mary-Ann Gorka, Kathy Orient; nephews, Rick (Laurie) Gercak, Adam (Angela) Gercak; great-nephews, Alex and Ben Gercak; special cousins, Louise Bistrick, and Judy and Jerry Kunka, and special friends, Sharon and David Filipiak. Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Everett and Irene Barnhart; in-laws, Stanley (Eleanor) Gorka; aunts and uncles, Betty and Jim Nietfeld, Burnetta and Don McConkey; cousins, Denny and Jason Nietfeld, and Michael McConkey.

Jim was an active member of All Saints Catholic Church, Rossford. He volunteered for their festivals, helping his wife and the Szymanski family co-chair bingo for 25 years, helped in the kitchen for Thursday night bingo, worked the food baskets for the Christmas Giving Tree and currently was the vice president of the church’s St. Vincent de Paul Society.

The family will receive friends at All Saints Catholic Church, 628 Lime City Road, Rossford, from 10 a.m. to noon, in the narthex of the church on Saturday, June 25. A Memorial Mass with be held at noon

Special thanks to Dr. Richard Phinney, his staff at the Toledo Clinic; Dr. Zafar Magsi and his assistant Jeff; Dr. Bradley Buck, and the nurses at Hospice for their wonderful care.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Hospice of Northwest Ohio, Perrysburg or St. Vincent de Paul at All Saints.