James D. Church

James “Jim“ Church,85, died October 14, 2020, at Bridge Haven in Lawrence. He was born June 2, 1935, in Lincoln, Nebraska. His parents were Bernard and Ethel (Meyers) Church.

He graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1957 and served in the U.S. Navy for three years. He returned to the University of Nebraska and received a Ph.D. in 1966.

Jim worked at the Math Research Center at the University of Wisconsin

(Madison) and was on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin (Whitewater). He and Ann Pettus were married in 1965, and they moved to Lawrence in 1967. For 40 years he was a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Kansas where he taught statistics and probability. His research was published in various statistical journals. With Darwin Daicoff and Ben Cobb, he was a statistical consultant for a number of trucking companies and the states of Washington, Texas, and Kansas.

Jim is survived by his wife, Ann, of the home, and his son, James(Diane), and grandchildren; Jacob, Sarah, and Joey.

He was preceded in death by son, Robert Church, and sister, Marilyn Church Vanosdall.

Jim was an avid reader and collector of classic science fiction. He will be remembered by family and friends as a legendary storyteller and his infectious laugh.