James Michael Willms

York

Yorkfield School

JIM WILLMS

MARION WILLMS

708-710-6487

Married

"Pippa" Van Uden Born 2008
"Indi" Van Uden Born 2011
Lila J Howard-Willms Born 2012 (Twin)
Pia Kay Howard-Willms Born 2012 (Twin)

Being a member of the 1960 state baseball championship team. I was not much of a factor, but Don Alusic (aka "Sickness", Jim Long (aka "Snowball") and I were the only seniors on the team. We were the "Cinderella" of the tournament and those nine consecutive wins are forever burned in my memory.

My great "romance" with Candy Burton.

Being a member of the 1959 and 1960 Duke basketball teams.

I am retired (2003) after 40 years dedicated to education. I continue to administrate the South Suburban Junior High School conference as its commissioner and my last connection to education.

I spend six months a year in Florida (Tampa) and the other six months in Palos Park, Illinois. As a result I play golf (poorly) throughout the year. I also ride bicycles a lot as the last vestige to anything athletic, which used to consume most of my time.

I enjoy spending time traveling with my wife of 44 years to visit our children who live in The Netherlands, Oregon, and Texas respectively. I am also heavily into cruises.

Michael

Coaching nine South Suburban Conference champions in thirteen years in basketball 1965 - 1977

Having the opportunity to watch all three of my children be quite successful in high school and college athletics.

Refereeing over 5500 basketball games over now 53 years with the IHSA including grade school, high school and college games.

That I was actually a reasonably successful and contributing educator who hopefully motivated hundreds of kids over 40 years in Palos Heights, Illinois.

See the annual Rose Parade and Rose Bowl.

I am gratified by having made contact with some "old" friends that I have not seen over the 50 long years through this site. Where has the time gone?

Among them have been Helen Krause, Johnny Coughlan with whom I spent countless hours on numerous basketball courts, Don (aka "Sickness") who brings back memories of many ball fields, Bill Wendt, who assures me that he still cannot dunk, and Jim (aka Snowball") from the state championship days as well as well as basketball.

I lament the premature passing of Ron Rau and Wayne Gianneschi who were among the greats of their time and serious friends. I can only hope that I can live long enough to make it to September 18.