James A. Vivian

Vivian, James A.
90, retired Colonel, passed away on February 15, 2009. He was a loving father and friend to many, and will be missed for his involvement and tenacity for the important things in life that he openly shared with others. Born in Humboldt, Arizona, September 20, 1918, his parents were both well known in their fields; his father as a prominent physician, and his mother in the field of Nursing. Widowed with five children under the age of thirteen, his mother provided for their family remarkably, and Jim went on to succeed in a military career. He graduated with the class of 1942 from the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, and met and married Mary Davis in 1943. He and Mary were blessed with a son, James, and daughter, Jane, and together traveled the world as a military family. Jim had a longtime love for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and among many of his assignments which he relished was directing the U.S. Army Engineer District in Memphis, Tennessee. As deputy commander of the 10th Engineer Brigade in Vietnam, he completed commands at every level. He went on to his position as Engineer for NATO/SHAPE in Brussels, Belgium, after which time, he returned to the United States and began his civilian career in the private sector and in government. His many tours included Assistant District Engineer, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Area Engineer and Chief of Operations, Okinawa; War Department General Staff, Washington, D.C.; Chief of Interrogations, Germany; Chief of CI Branch, Germany; and Deputy U.S. Army Attache, Paris, France. He returned to his beloved Arizona and worked in the private sector, eventually moving into a variety of county and state positions, culminating in being appointed by Arizona Governor Williams as State Registrar of Contractors. Jim's other longtime love was that of the Lord, as he was wholeheartedly involved with the Catholic Church throughout his life. He was with the choir at St. Francis in Phoenix for almost thirty years, and in these past nine years, has been involved with St. Bernadette's Parish in Scottsdale. In his spare time throughout his lifetime, as a member of the Phoenix Country Club, he loved to golf and finally achieved his goal of a single-digit golf handicap! He was blessed with 56 years of marriage to his first wife, Mary, who predeceased him, and then found love again with Phyllis, to whom he was married almost five years. He leaves behind his wife Phyllis; his son, James S. of Dallas, Texas, and his daughter, Jane D. of Wickenburg, Arizona, and spouses Linda and Danny, respectively; granddaughters, Alice E. and Anne E. and spouse John; brother, Dr. Jack Vivian and spouse, Karen; and sister, Claudia Sumner and spouse Edwin; along with numerous nieces and nephews. We are grateful for the time he spent touching our lives and those of so many others, as we will never be the same. Funeral Mass will be held at 1PM, Saturday, February 21, 2009, St. Bernadette Catholic Church, 16245 N. 60th St., Scottsdale.