On June 10th, James Grady Huntington (82) passed away unexpectedly, but peacefully and surrounded by the people he loved, following a brief illness. Gone much too soon, he will be remembered and cherished by the many people that experienced his kindness, his willingness to lend a hand to anyone, and his passion for family and friends. He always recounted how fortunate he was to have met so many wonderful people along his path, collecting many lifelong friends in Columbus and beyond, and meeting the love of his life, Susie Bear Huntington, with whom he was eagerly planning to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on June 18th. Jim is survived and dearly missed by his wife, Susie; children Tim (Dale Etnyre Huntington) of St. Charles, MO, and Amy Huntington of Chicago, IL; grandchildren, Ty, Taylor and Alyssa Hudzinski (Jake); brother, Larry (Marie) of Columbus; sister, Sara Huntington of Bloomington; brother-in-law, Jim Bear (Sallie) of Hudson, OH; as well as nieces and nephews. Born August 14th, 1938, in Columbus, Indiana, to Clayton and Juanita Huntington, Jim graduated from Columbus High School in 1956 and then from Wittenberg University in 1960 with a B.S. in Business. Jim was a member of Phi Gamma Delta and while in college met Susie on a blind date arranged by mutual friends. Those friends, Susie’s sorority sisters and Jim’s fraternity brothers, formed lifelong friendships that still include annual couples’ trips to get together where stories are told... and retold. The six married couples in the group all enjoyed marriages of over 55 years, with collective memories and support for each other that they knew was exceptional. Jim and Susie married June 18th, 1961, in Ashland, OH, with Jim graduating a year ahead of Susie and completing Air Force Reserve duty at Lackland AFB during their engagement. Once married, they settled in Columbus where he worked briefly for his family’s business, Wendel’s Lumber, before commencing a 36 year career in Sales/Marketing with Arvin Industries including a 9 year assignment in Charlotte, NC, then returning to Columbus in 1973. He was never remiss to reiterate how much he was grateful for and credited Susie’s support in their decision to relocate to Charlotte only to then find that he would be traveling Monday through Friday each week. “She settled in a new place far from our families, managed two small children essentially on her own, and found a wonderful tribe of friends we kept for life.” Jim’s former professional / civic activities included serving as President of the Automotive Advertisers Council; Regional Representative to Wittenberg University Board of Directors; President of Bartholomew County Historical Society and Board Member where a new building at the Henry Breeding Farm had been dedicated to him in honor of his contributions and support of historical preservation. Membership by Jim’s family in The First Lutheran Church in Columbus spans over 100 years. He served as Council President three times and for many years as First Lutheran Foundation President. He has been a lifelong member of the church and, after being dragged to choir practice by his mother in 1953, he never quit fulfilling his “obligation” until March 2020. He enjoyed golf and is a former member of Harrison Lake Country club. He was a voracious reader and liked history, sports, cocktail hour, and traveling the world with Susie. Above all else, he loved spending time with his family. We’ll miss his wise counsel and boundless optimism; his sense of humor and countless stories; but mostly his unconditional love for us all. A special thanks to the teams at Columbus Regional Hospital and IU Health - University Hospital for their compassionate care for Jim and their support to our family as we experienced this great loss. Visitation is planned at Barkes, Weaver & Glick Funeral Home on Washington Street from 1-4 p.m. on Sunday, June 27th. The memorial service will be held Monday, June 28th at The First Lutheran Church at 10 a.m. with the Reverend Larry Isbell officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Columbus Regional Hospital Foundation (crh.org), The Bartholomew County Historical Society (bartholomewhistory.org) and The First Lutheran Church Foundation (3600 E. 25th Street, Columbus, IN 47203). Online condolences and special memories may be shared with family and a video tribute may be viewed at barkesweaverglick.com.