James "Jim" E. Wittig, 84, of Collinsville, Ill., born Wednesday, April 19, 1931, in Amherst, Ohio, passed away Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016, at 1:45 PM at Kindred Hospital, St. Louis, Mo.

Jim was a Mechanical Engineer. He served valiantly in the United States Army, stationed in Salzburg, Austria, and was an Airport Engineer in Saudi Arabia. He was a member of the Federation of Mineralogical and Geological Society of St. Louis, Mo., Belleville area Rose Society, Orchid Society of St. Louis, Mo., Gesneriad (African Violets) Botanical Garden, Iris Society and Show-Me-Gem and Mineral. Jim enjoyed Chess, Bridge, Euchre, Pinocle, Jazz, Jigsaw Puzzles, Reading, World Travel, Computers, and Classical Music. He was a Boy Scout leader, an avid rock hound and loved charting generations of the Bible. Jim was a member of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Collinsville, Ill.

He was preceded in death by his parents, William G.A. and Verna, nee Crispin, Wittig; a son-in-law, Dale Johnson; and two sisters-in-law, Martha (Pat) Anderson and Thelma Wittig.

Surviving are his wife, Dorothy "Dot" Mayer Gilomen Wittig, whom he married Sat. Feb. 23, 1980; children, Shelly Hutchinson of Cincinnati, Ohio, Candace Wittig of Weirton, W.Va., Mark (Janice) Wittig of Georgetown, Ohio, Jean Johnson of Bunker Hill, Ill., Jane (Tom) Rood of Shelbyville, Ill.; a sister, Carol (Max) Ralstin of Kokomo, Ind.; brothers, William Wittig of Kokomo, Ind., Richard (Wyn) Wittig of Kimberling City, Mo., Robert (Marty) Wittig of Carmel, Ind., and Don (Kathy) Wittig of Hope Valley, R.I.; grandchildren, Bill (Karen) Johnson, Lori (Aaron) Goodman, Thomas J. (Dana) Rood, Gwen Hutchinson and Sarah Wakely; and great-grandchildren, Lauren Johnson, Lindsay Johnson, Kate Goodman, Tyson Rood, Holly Rood and Kylie Rood.

Memorials may be made to Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Collinsville, Ill., or Kindred Hospital in St. Louis, Mo.

Visitation: Memorial visitation will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016, at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Collinsville, Ill.

Funeral: Memorial Service at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016, at the church. Interment of cremains will be in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Peru, Ind., at a later date.