James Hovorka

Hovorka, James John

HOVORKA, James John, age 92, of Centerville, Ohio peacefully passed away at home Sunday, December 24, 2023. He was born and raised in Cicero, Illinois where he graduated from J. Sterling Morton High School. He enjoyed the theater, participating in the drama club where he met his first wife Joan. He also learned to play the accordion to entertain his family and friends. Jim was a devoted husband and caring father, always putting others first. He was an avid reader, had a dry sense of humor, and enjoyed listening to audiobooks and classical music, as well as completing crossword puzzles. He had a meticulously maintained workshop where he enjoyed working on small projects. He loved the warm weather and relaxing on the porch soaking up the sun. Jim graduated from Purdue University in 1952 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He served two years in the military, assigned to Army ordnance where he worked with the testing of war equipment at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. Following completion of military service, he worked for GM as a project engineer at the Proving Ground in Michigan, where he supervised the safety research program. In 1958 he joined the Delco Moraine division of General Motors in Dayton, Ohio as a project engineer performing brake liaison work with the division's customers. One year later, he became a sales engineer and subsequently was promoted to sales manager for automotive assemblies. As sales manager he was responsible for the sale of power, disc, or drum brake assemblies required by brake systems, for which he often traveled to Japan and Europe. He remained in that position until his retirement from Delco Moraine in 1988. Jim is preceded in death by his first wife, Joan (Johnson) Hovorka and his mother, Anna (Houdek) Hovorka. He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Jane (Hufnagle-Stolle) Hovorka, his children David (Nancy) Hovorka, Cathy (Charles) Ellis and Judy Imhoff; his stepson Roger Stolle and stepdaughter Karen (Vince) Knueven; his grandchildren Steven, Daniel, Alec, Anna, Amelia, Sara (John), and Amanda; great-grandchildren Mason, Jackson, and Addison. Services will be private at the request of the family at Newcomer Funeral Home in Centerville. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.newcomerdayton.com. The family would like to express our thanks for the compassionate care and support provided by Hospice of Dayton. In lieu of flowers, if desired, friends may make memorial contributions to Hospice of Dayton, 324 Wilmington Ave., Dayton, OH 45420.