James Kerney Kuser

1930 - 2014
James (Jim) Kerney Kuser, 83, of Naples, Fla., died May 20 in his home, following a five-month battle with lung cancer.
Born Oct. 18, 1930, in Lawrenceville, N.J., he was the son of Mary Kerney and R. George Kuser. On Oct. 9, 1954, he married Helen Margaret Lambert, and she survives.
He was preceded in death by a daughter, Bernadette Kuser, in 1961; a grandson, Alex Kuser in 2007; and a brother, R. George Kuser Jr. in 2012.
He is also survived by two sons, John Kuser (and wife Betsy) of Texas, Ohio, and Jamie Kuser (and wife Kathy) of Fort Myers, Fla.; a daughter, Mary Kuser Thomas (and fiancé Mike Chilcote), of Napoleon, Ohio; seven grandchildren; four step grandchildren; two great-grandchildren and eight step great-grandchildren.
In Northwest Ohio, Jim Kuser was publisher and owner of the Northwest Signal daily newspaper in Napoleon for 37 years (Feb. 1, 1966-Nov. 14, 2003). He was also editor of the newspaper from January 1976 to July 1985. Additionally, he sat on the Troy (Ohio) Daily News board of directors from 1967 to 1998.
His previous employment included Courier Post in Camden, N.J.; WTOA-FM in Trenton, N.J.; Kliegl Brothers Lighting in New York, N.Y.; and the Trenton Times in New Jersey.
A U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War, Kuser was a specialist 4th class in Army Security Agency from 1953-56.
He was named 1986 Citizen of the Year by the Napoleon Chamber of Commerce, and the Napoleon Rotary Club recognized him in 1984 with the Paul Harris Fellowship. He was a member of the Chamber from 1966 to 2000 (president in 1980, board member from 1978-80). With the Rotary Club, he recorded 30 years of perfect attendance (1966-96) and was president in 1978-79.
Kuser was an integral component of the Maumee Valley Civic Theatre in Napoleon from 1966 to 2002. He served as president from 1970 to 1997, producer from 1966 to 1997 and lighting designer from 1966 to 2001.
Other memberships include the Henry County Airport Authority (charter president in 1968-70), United Way of Henry County, Trenton Country Club, Henry County Chapter of the American Red Cross (board of directors 1972-96), Vineyards Country Club, Associated Press, United Press International, Ohio Newspaper Association, Inland Press Association, Napoleon Elks Lodge, American Legion #300, AMVETS #1313, Naples Elks Lodge, St. Augustine Catholic Church, St. Agnes Catholic Church, Camelot Park Homeowners Association and the Coral Beach & Tennis Club in Bermuda.
He earned his bachelor's in 1953 from the University of Virginia, and his master's in 1959 from Yale University. He was a 1949 graduate of the Lawrenceville (N.J.) School.
A memorial mass will be held May 31 at 11 a.m. at St. Agnes Catholic Church in Naples. Private interment will be at a later date in St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church Cemetery, Princeton, N.J.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Shikany's Funeral Home, Bonita Springs, Fla.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project Inc. or American Red Cross.