James E. Burcham

James “Jim” Edward Burcham went home to be with Jesus on October 23rd, 2024 at the age of 67.

Jim was the son of Marilyn and Earl Wallace. He was born in Peoria, IL and was the oldest of 3 children, and as a child basketball was his biggest passion. Jim attended KU and later was married and had 2 children, Nicole and Michelle, who he said were two of his greatest accomplishments – the third was his devotion to children’s ministry.

Jim, lovingly known as Jimbo or Butch, was a friend to all and had an infectious smile. He had such a strong passion for connecting with others and attempting to find the joy in every situation. Even challenging moments were seen as opportunities for growth. Jim loved to have a good time; after basketball, Jim found a new passion with disc golf. He was an avid disc golfer and loved meeting friends on the disc golf course. Jimbo will forever been remembered for his unwavering support of newcomers to the game – always encouraging and helping them perfect their technique.

Off the disc golf course, Jimbo loved sharing his passion for Christ, basketball, and woodworking with all of his grandchildren (Mikey, Mason, Nora, Aubrey and Mac). His children and their families were the center of his world. He served in children’s ministry for decades, starting as his daughters’ Sunday school teacher when they were young, continuing throughout the years until his body would no longer let him just a few short months ago.

Jim fought an admirable battle with cancer. He had a rare form of lymphoma which was incredibly challenging to treat. Through all of this, his mission was to bring joy to anyone he met and in the last days of his life, he decided to donate his body to research to improve the outcome for others who battle lymphoma. He was the 7th person enrolled in a very promising trial for cancer treatment and saw amazing results and hopes that through his donation, he will be able to help a multitude of others enjoy a long and joyful life.

Jim joins his brother, John, and his dad, Earl in Heaven. He is survived by his mother, Marilyn, sister, Susan, his daughters Nicole (Chris) and Michelle (Mikey), and 5 grandchildren.

We want leave you with one thing our dad would want you all to hear. His love for Jesus and faith in Christ was the upmost important thing to him. Through Him, all things are possible – that doesn’t mean it’s all easy, but it means that you have hope. Paul shared in Proverbs 17:22 “A joyful heart is good medicine.”