James Kornkven

James R. Kornkven

1931 - 2016

James R. Kornkven, 84, sports editor of the Kenosha News for 32 years, died at home on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016, with his family at his side.

Jim, a Milwaukee native, joined the News staff as a reporter in 1957. Six years later, he replaced Jerry Pfarr as sports editor after covering city government and sports. Under his leadership, the paper's sports coverage was greatly expanded and diversified within a special section. He retired in 1995.

Jim was born Jan. 30, 1931, to Karl and Lydia (Plitt) Kornkven. He graduated from Bay View High School and Marquette University School of Journalism. On April 11, 1953, he married Marialyce Koenig. Before arriving in Kenosha, he held reporting jobs with newspapers in Beaver Dam and Benton Harbor, Mich.

Throughout his life, Jim pursued a strong personal interest in sports, playing tennis into his 80's. The family's north woods cabin on Franklin Lake near Eagle River was Jim's bridge to nature, fishing, swimming and canoeing. Jim and Marialyce shared a love for both classical and folk music, and they regularly attended Kenosha Symphony and Milwaukee Symphony concerts. The two took their seven children on long trips to such places as Colorado and Rhode Island. Jim's longest trip took him to China in 1998. He was a member of the Danish Brotherhood Lodge #14 and Adventures in Lifelong Learning.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Gerald Kornkven.

Jim is survived by his wife of 62 years, Marialyce, seven children, Jeanne Kornkven of Milwaukee, Kathryn (Kenneth) Anderson of Eden Prairie, Minn., Sarah Bradley (George Badecker) of Brooklyn, NY, Kristin Kornkven of Kenosha, Ellen (Joseph) Bowers of Westwood, Mass., Andrew (Dolores) Kornkven of Northfield, Minn., and David Kornkven of Kenosha.

His 14 grandchildren are Brandon Counts of Bristol, Elliott Berg of Kenosha, Ivy Berg (Christopher Scoville) of Eau Claire, Joseph Anderson of Duluth, MN, Samuel Anderson of Minneapolis, Minn., Sarah Bowers of Orono, Me., Lydia Bowers, of Westwood, Mass., Mei Li Badecker of Chicago, Tai Badecker, Ani Badecker, and Owen Badecker of Brooklyn, NY, Audrey Kornkven, Joan Kornkven, and Darcy Kornkven of Northfield, Minn.

Funeral services for Jim will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, January 18, 2016 at the Hansen-Lendman Funeral Home with burial to follow at St. James Cemetery. A visitation will be held at the funeral home on Monday from 9:30 a.m. until the time of service. In lieu of flowers, memorials to the Nature Conservancy or Wisconsin Public Radio would be greatly appreciated.

Jim's family would like to express their sincerest gratitude to his caregivers: Guadalupe, Sylvianna, Marisol and Hospice Alliance for the care and compassion he received.



Hansen-Lendman Funeral Home

6019 7th Avenue

262-654-2136



www.hansen-lendmanfuneralhome.com