James Michael (“Jim”) Kosluchar, age 78, died peacefully at his home in Chisholm on October 28, 2018. Jim was born on June 15, 1940 in Hibbing to Marion (Scanlon) Kosluchar and Joseph Kosluchar. He attended Hibbing schools, transferring to Chisholm in his junior year where he met his high school sweetheart, Arlette Asuma.
Jim graduated from Chisholm High School in 1959. After graduation, Jim worked briefly in the mines before obtaining a certification in machining from Staples Technical… Read More » Institute. Jim and Arlette married on September 8, 1962.
Over the next nine years, they welcomed four children. For several years, they lived in Arlington, Virginia and Minneapolis where Jim worked as machinist. In 1968, Jim accepted a managerial position at Taconite Engineering, which allowed him to return his family “home” to Northern Minnesota.
He worked there for 30 years before taking a position as a manager at Irathane Systems, retiring in 2001. A natural people person, Jim reveled in telling stories, riddles, and jokes and teaching and counseling others. His children and grandchildren loved when he recounted his hardscrabble childhood adventures with his brother John–sliding down the drainpipe of the house into the night, hiding stolen rabbits in his uncle’s brand new car, painting their little brother green, and putting taconite scraps into dental tubes to sell to tourists.
Jim was very musical and enjoyed singing, playing his accordion and guitar, and listening to music, especially 50’s rock and roll, old-style country and Celtic folk music. As anyone who spent time with him in his office knows, Jim loved nothing more than sharing his vast music library, jokes and online videos. Whatever Jim did, he did with gusto, whether it was spending all day at the ice rink playing hockey, finding deals and bargains, helping friends prepare their taxes, playing cards late into the night, emotionally following his Minnesota Vikings, or fishing from sunup to sundown.
He had an excellent memory, a mathematical mind, and embraced cutting-edge technology throughout his lifetime. After suffering cardiac arrest in early 2017, Jim was revived and miraculously survived. He fought to regain his strength and mobility.
Returning home in May of 2017, Jim joyfully spent more time with his loved ones, celebrating two more birthdays and the wedding of his granddaughter, Zoe, joining in themed parties, and relaxing on his deck. Hanging out with family friend, Luke Furlan, was a definite highlight as well. Jim is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 56 years, Arlette Kosluchar; his beloved children, Colleen (Daniel Connor) Kosluchar, Jim (Stacy) Kosluchar, Cathy (Bob) Fitzsimmons, and Jerry Kosluchar; his precious grandchildren, Zoe (Rem) Kosluchar, Ava Kosluchar, Abbey Fitzsimmons, James Fitzsimmons, Sean Connor and Audrey Fitzsimmons; his brother and sister-in-law John and Helen Koslucher, his brother, Joe Kosluchar, and his sister, Judy Johnson; his special aunts, Fran Constantini and Jean Scanlon, many cousins and nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and his brother Gerald (“Jerry”) Kosluchar, and brother-in-law, James Johnson. Funeral services will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 3, 2018, at Rupp Funeral Home & Cremation Service Chapel in Chisholm, to be preceded by visitation at 3:00 p.m. A reception will follow at 5:00 p.m. Jim will be remembered as a tender hearted, generous man and missed by those whose lives he touched.
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