James Warren

WARREN - James W. Warren, of Whitehall, age 73, husband of Jean, died on May 23, 2011 after a long illness. He was born on June 21, 1937, in Gary, Indiana to H. Katherine and Woodrow Warren. He was raised in East Gary and Hammond, Indiana, and spent three years in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. He graduated from East Gary High School in 1955. Jim was a music major, graduating from Grand Rapids School of the Bible and Music in 1960, and furthering his education at Grand Rapids Junior College. On August 15, 1959 he married Jean (Berggren) Warren and lived the first five years of their marriage in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 1964 they moved to the Chicago area where they lived for the next forty years. Jim's love of choral music led him to direct six choirs in four different churches in Grand Rapids at the same time, arranging much of the music himself. After moving to the Chicago area, he was the choir director and youth director at River Grove Bible Church, and then became the Minister of Music at Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park, Illinois for thirteen years. In addition to his music ministry, Jim held a wide variety of jobs: assembly line worker, salesman, carpenter, railroad switchman and rate clerk, department store management trainee, etc., all of which served as a broad background for his real "calling" when he went to work in 1971 for Moody Bible Institute in their radio division. Jim began in their music library, but was soon promoted to "on-air" programming. When Moody Bible Institute began broadcasting by satellite, Jim was asked to create a "drive-time" program to be heard nationwide, "Prime Time America". Jim was innovative, wanting the program to bring the presence of the Lord into everyday life and to showcase God at work around the world. Jim was the host and executive producer of "Prime Time America" for eighteen years, and even after Jim's retirement due to health reasons, the program continued with another host through April 2010. Jim's broad spectrum of interests included world events, science, sports, recipes, self-help, adoption, pet-care, Biblical archaeology, missions, and a wide variety of musicians and their music, but above all his keen desire was to help listeners know God in a deeper way and equip them to impact the world for Christ. A constant learner, Jim brought his audience along with him on location as he visited Israel, the Ukraine, South Africa and India. His love of music included many different styles of music from jazz to classical, gospel to opera. He was a member of C.A.T.O.E. (Chicago Area Theatre Organ Enthusiasts). He also loved to be outside in God's creation, which led him to become a bicycle enthusiast, a motorcyclist, and own a 1962 MGB roadster convertible. He was a member of the Chicagoland MG Club in Illinois and the Old Speckled Hens MG Club in Michigan. In 2004 he and Jean moved back to western Michigan, settling near Whitehall. Jim leaves his wife, Jean; his children, Carol Joy (Scott) Green of Prince George, British Columbia; David (Sue Tait) Warren of Mauston, Wisconsin; Gary (Dawna) Warren of Normal, Illinois; and Randy (Heather) Warren of Elgin, Illinois and seven grandchildren, Micah and Anika Green, Sarah, Arielle, Joseph, Olivia and Lily Warren. He was preceded in death by his parents. He also leaves one brother, Rev. Charles (Gerri) Warren of Portage, Indiana, and one sister-in-law, Beth (Ron) Fortier, of Franklin, Indiana, many nieces, nephews, and cousins, and four aunts, Sue Koziol of Englewood, FL, Margaret (Ray) Bales of Las Vegas, NV, Jeanne McClintock and Martha Warren (widow of Wendell Warren) of Mt. Vernon, IL. A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, May 26th, at 11:00 a,m. at Forest Park Covenant Church, 3815 Henry Street in Muskegon, MI. Visitation with the family will begin at 9:30 a.m. prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, his family requests that donations be made in his name to Nuru International (www.nuruinternational.org), Moody Bible Institute/Broadcasting Network (www.mbn.org) or The Salvation Army Chicago Staff Band (www.salvationarmy.org/csb). Share memories with the family online at www.sytsemafh.com. Arrangements by The Sytsema Chapel, Sytsema Funeral Homes, Inc., 737 Apple Ave Muskegon, MI 49442. 231-726-5210