James Walton "Jim" Bouska

Jim was born in Lawrence, Kansas on July 5, 1926, where his father, Luther Bouska, was completing a Master's Degree in Education. His mother was Doris Walton Bouska of Belleville, Kansas. He attended grade school in Phillipsburg and Russell, Kansas, and 8th grade through high school in Belleville. He was admitted to the University of Kansas after his junior year in high school and attended one year before enlisting in the Army Air Force. He is a World War II veteran, having served in the Army Air Force from July 1944 to January 1946 and the U.S. Air Force in the Pacific theater from January 1946 to January 1947. Jim returned to Kansas University in the spring semester of 1947 to complete his undergraduate and law degrees. He married Doraen Lindquist on November 23, 1947, and they lived in Lawrence where he continued his education, received his BA degree with a major in Economics in 1949 and his LLB (later changed to Juris Doctor) in August, 1952. Their first child, David, was born to the couple in April, 1950, while Jim and Doraen were attending law school and graduate school respectively. Jim was admitted to the practice of law in Kansas in 1952, and was given special permission to run for County Attorney of Republic County by the Supreme Court in the summer of 1952 prior to his taking the bar examination. He won the election and the family moved to Belleville, Kansas. In Belleville, Jim also served as City Attorney. He served as County Attorney from January 1953 to June 1955, when they moved to Overland Park, Kansas. There he was employed by the Kansas City law firm of Stinson, Mag, Thompson, McEvers and Fizzell, specializing in corporate law. He was admitted to the practice of law in Missouri in 1955. Shortly after the move to Overland Park, Diane was born to Jim and Doraen, in November of 1955. Jim left the Kansas City law firm to practice civil law with the firm of Keach, Bouska and Stockwell in 1958. Jim was hired by then County Attorney, Jack Gardner as an assistant County Attorney in the winter of 1959. He was elected County Attorney in 1966 and re-elected in 1968. In January, 1960, twins, Jardon and John, were born. While assistant County Attorney, Jim was appointed as Municipal Judge of Overland Park, and Jim was instrumental in arranging for the city to develop a master plan and helped make changes in the way municipal matters were prosecuted. After a run for Attorney General of Kansas in 1970, Jim returned to private practice in Olathe. From 1975 until 1985 he practiced as senior partner in the law firm of Bouska, Ferree and Bunn in Overland Park. That firm practiced civil law and handled legal work for the county. He was City Prosecutor for the City of Merriam during the early 1980's and he was Counsel for the Johnson County Charter Commission. Jim was appointed as a District Judge of Johnson County, Kansas, by then Governor John Carlin in August 1985, where he handled a civil docket until his retirement October 31, 1996. Jim was past president of the Johnson County Bar Association (1975-76) and of the Kansas County Attorneys Association. While living in Belleville, he served as County Chairman for the Republic County Young Republicans. While serving as district judge, he served on the Bar committee for determining the use of computers by judges and in the courtroom. He wrote 12 chapters in the Trial Handbook, published by the National Association of District Attorneys, and wrote an article, "The Prosecutor's Closing Argument in Kansas," in 1969. He also served on the board of directors for Kansas City Jazz, Inc., which put on the annual jazz festival. He was a member of the Abdallah Shrine, the American Legion, the Village Presbyterian Church, and the Rolling Hills Presbyterian Church. Jim's interest included KU basketball, music, fine food, environmental issues, his children, who live in Nashville, Tennessee, Atlanta, Georgia, and Overland Park, Kansas, and grandchildren Tad, Matt and Cecilia of Atlanta. Since Jim had retired, he had been doing arbitrations, mediations, filling in for other district judges and traveling to Oxford, England, Scotland, Czech Republic, Austria, Denmark, Sweden and Norway and on several trips with the KU Flying Jayhawks. He is fondly remembered by family and friends for his warmth, generosity and ability to embellish a good joke, and by his colleagues and fellow citizens as a public servant of the highest order of integrity and dedication. Jim was predeceased by his brother Don, son John, daughter-in-law Shauna Ryan and nephew Christian Campbell. He is survived by his wife, Doraen, children David, Jardon and Diane, sisters Dolores Lewis of Topeka and Janet Grimm of Ann Arbor, Michigan, sister-inlaw Andrea Bouska of Pomona, Kansas, nieces Karen Driver and Jennifer Campbell, nephews Mike and Joe Bouska and Kirk, Keith, Kelly and Brian Lewis, and his grandchildren. Memorial services will be 2 p.m. Sunday, August 17, 2003, at Rolling Hills Presbyterian Church, 95th and Nall, Overland Park, Kansas. (Arrangements: Maple Hill Funeral Home (913) 831-3345)