Obituary of James Lee Wuertz

James Lee Wuertz, 72, loving husband and father and generous friend, passed away at his home in Osage Beach, Missouri, on Thursday, May 6, 2021, after a long fight with cancer. Jim was born in Lyons, Kansas, and grew up in Geneseo, Kansas, where he graduated high school. He had a fulfilling lifetime career in sales with CertainTeed Corporation/North American Specialty Products, and made many friends there during his 49 years of employment. Jim and his wife, Vera, were married for 48 years and raised two loving children. They lived in McPherson, Kansas, and Lake St. Louis, Missouri, before retiring to Osage Beach.

Throughout his life, Jim enjoyed an array of outdoor activities, including snow skiing, motorcycling, boating, and water sports. Taking his family bicycle riding on the Katy Trail and teaching his children how to swim and ski were his favorite moments as a young dad. He became a workout enthusiast, and after a challenging workout, he’d treat himself to a cold beer, saying, "I work out so I can enjoy this!"

Jim had a passion for history. He had extensive knowledge of Egyptian and English monarchs, shipwrecks of all sorts, and a special appreciation of Native American culture and art.

He also loved nature, animals, and taking wildlife photos. His favorite place to travel was Hawaii, where he made many happy memories swimming and snorkeling among the sea life and turtles. In Lake St. Louis, you could often see him working in the yard with the family dog, Tyson. In Osage Beach, he enjoyed relaxing on the deck with his grand-kitty, Holly.

Jim and Vera loved taking road trips in his silver Corvette. If you needed to find him, he was usually in the garage cleaning or working on his car. In recent years, he enjoyed taking it out for a spin around the lake.

Jim loved life and had a gift for making others laugh. He was caring and kind, generous with friends and family, and will be missed deeply by his wife Vera (Schmidt) Wuertz and daughter Natalie Wuertz. He is also survived by nephew Patrick Wuertz, niece Laura Wuertz Barac, and sister-in-law Lynette (Crews) Wuertz. He was preceded in death by his son Trevor Wuertz and brother William Wuertz, as well as his parents.

There are no services scheduled at this time. 

Anyone wishing to make a gift in Jim's name may donate to the American Cancer Society or plant a tree in his memory through this website.