James Thein

1964 - 2025

Thein, James P

It's with great sadness that we announce the passing of Jim Thein, 61 of Vandalia, Ohio. He passed away on January 14, 2025. Jim was born January 14, 1964, the son of the late Jack and Judy (Tobe) Thein. "Side bet Thein" would have found it serendipitous to leave for heaven on his birthday, the 14th, his lucky number.

Jim was a proud Daytonian through and through. He never met a stranger and was the original "23 and me" he would be able to trace your family tree back to where you were from and who your parents were with just one or two clues.

Jim was a 1982 graduate of Northmont High School. He then graduated from Wright State University with a Bachelors in financial services. While at WSU, Jim worked for Kohler Catering where he had a great work ethic which he carried over for a majority of his life. Jim loved hunting and fishing. He received his Captains License and loved being able to take his friends and family out to Lake Erie. His love of lake life started as a child when he offered his father the entirety of his piggy bank to help buy a place at Lake St. Marys. He was very active with Ducks Unlimited and served many varying positions and titles in that organization. Some of his fondest moments were hunting and fishing with his friends or taking the extra time to show the important young ones in his life how to bait a hook or cast a line. Jim was very active in Crime Stoppers and volunteered a lot of his time organizing and helping run their annual golf outing. In his younger days, Jim was very active in the Dayton Softball Community and was recently inducted into the Dayton Area Softball Hall of Fame. Jim was a member of the exclusive Dayton Agonis Club and was always a friendly face at the meetings and special events. Jim possessed a welcome smile and hearty laugh with the occasional snort that would draw people over and make even the biggest wallflower feel welcome at any event. Jim was an avid Buckeyes, Flyers, and Bengals fan. If you knew him well enough, Saturday mornings in the fall you would get a phone call going over high school football scores from the night before. Music was one of Jim's passions; he could name the tune to anything played. He would recall great shows and memories from the great "Hara Arena". Van Halen was only Van halen with David Lee Roth.

He is survived by his wife Karen (Kelch) Thein, his children Jamie (Chris) Compton, Jandie (Trey) Steele. Grandchildren Cate, Callie and Kit Compton and Tripp, Charleston and Ford Steele. Brother Mike (Susan) Thein and niece Jennifer Thein and Jordan North. In-laws Paul and Shirley (Kelch); Brother-in-laws Ken (Louise), Mike (Laurie), Dave (Darla), Ed, Joe (Renee), Sister-in-laws Cheryl Kelch, Nancy (Jeff) Sargent, Melanie (Jason) Simon and Marci (James) Johnson and numerous nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends (Ohio State Buckeye attire is encouraged) from 3-7pm on Monday, January 20, 2025 at Westbrock Funeral Home, 5980 Bigger Rd. Kettering, OH, and again on Tuesday January 21, 2025 from 8:30-9:15 am, funeral services will begin at 9:15am with burial to follow at Calvary Cemetery, Dayton OH. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Ducks Unlimited Mercer and Dayton Chapters, Dayton Lions Club, and Dayton Crime Stoppers.