James Kenneth Willison, Jr.

James Kenneth Willison Jr. obituary, Observer-Reporter, Washington (Washington County), Pennsylvania, 1 December, 2010

Active real estate agent and church member

James Kenneth Willison Jr., 70, of Waynesburg, passed away at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, November 30, 2010, in his home in Waynesburg, following a lengthy illness.

He was born May 30, 1940, in Waynesburg, a son of J. Kenneth and Wynona Shearer Willison.

Mr. Willison was a 1958 graduate of Waynesburg High School, a 1962 graduate of Slippery Rock State College and a 1965 graduate of University of Pittsburgh with a master's degree in physical education. He completed the course work for a doctorate of education in higher education administration from West Virginia University in 1969. In addition, he earned designations from the Graduate Realtors Institute and was a designated residential specialist appraiser, a prestigious recognition granted by the Appraisal Institute.

In his teens, he operated his own small hauling company, which provided him with the money to earn his college education. Following high school graduation, he passed the Pennsylvania Real Estate Examination and began selling for Glenn A. Arnold Real Estate Agency in Waynesburg. Real estate sales became his summer employment and helped him further his graduate studies, as well as acquire his broker's license.

Following his graduation from Pitt, he married and returned to Slippery Rock, where he became assistant director of admissions, assistant men's soccer coach and a health and physical education classroom instructor. He became interested in on-campus ministries to students and served on the boards of Campus Ministry of Western Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Board of Ministries in Higher Education. In 1967, he returned to Waynesburg, and in 1969, he and his father began their own real estate and appraisal business, J.K. Willison Real Estate Inc. He was active in that business for 40 years, until his health forced retirement.

Being a grandson of an American Baptist pastor, he was baptized at his grandfather's church at Bates Fork in Sycamore and was a faithful member of First Baptist Church in Waynesburg for many years. Known as "Jimmy Foo Foo," he served as both camp manager and camp director at Camp Carmel in Dunbar. He served his denomination as a member of the Region Board of American Baptist Churches of Pennsylvania and Delaware. He was a member of the board of trustees at Alderson-Broaddus College and a founding board member of the Church Leadership Institute of Western Pennsylvania. He was proud of his many years of membership and service in the Waynesburg Rotary Club.

Mr. Willison had a lifelong interest in both basketball and soccer, serving as a referee in both at the high school and college levels. Sharing a love for horses with his daughters, he enabled his daughters to own and show American saddlebred horses throughout the tri-state area.

Surviving are two daughters, Eva Drobezko and husband David of Slippery Rock and Amy Mendicino and husband Mark of Allison Park; four grandchildren, Monica and Matthew Drobezko of Slippery Rock and Amanda and Joshua Mendicino of Allison Park; his former wife, Sherry of Hermitage; and five nieces and nephews, Julia Young of Waynesburg and Melanie Taylor, Charles Warren, Katrina McGavik and Buzz Warren, all of Texas.

Deceased, in addition to his parents, is a sister, Margaret Jean.

Friends will be received from 1 to 4 and 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday in Behm Funeral Homes Inc., 182 West High Street, Waynesburg. Additional visitation will be held from 10 to 11 a.m., the time of services, Friday, December 3, in First Baptist Church, 303 West High Street, Waynesburg, with the Rev. Frank Vucic, the Rev. Stewart Johnson and the Rev. Donald Wilson officiating. Interment will follow in Greene County Memorial Park, Morgan Township.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his memory to American Cancer Society or the W.W.J.D. Center in Waynesburg. Condolences may be offered at www.behmfuneralhomes.net.