Willa, James Lee, passed away, Friday, January 27, 2023. Beloved husband of the late Betty Eileen Rufus Willa; dearest father of James Stanley Willa (Karen), Karen Ruth Hurd (Steven), Sharon Elizabeth Long (the late David), and Christina Dawn Durkin (Bill). James (Jim) leaves behind 8 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. He is survived by his brother Brigadier General Thomas Calton Pool (Helen). Jim was preceded in death by his son Scott David Willa and first wife Betty Lois Duncan.

Jim was born in Houston, Texas on March 14, 1930 to Leon Stanley Willa and Vera Claire Moore. After graduating from Jefferson Davis High School, he obtained a Bachelors of Arts and a Bachelors of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Rice University. He eventually moved from Houston to St. Louis, Missouri where he resided for over 50 years. In the last year after being widowed from his beloved second wife, Betty Eileen Rufus, he moved to Wisconsin to be with his daughter Karen Ruth Hurd.

Jim was internationally known as the leading expert in cooling towers. He devoted his entire life to the cooling tower business and only retired from it in his eighties. His brilliancy in the cooling tower industry will never be forgotten.

Services: Visitation at the SCHRADER Funeral Home and Crematory, 14960 Manchester Road at Holloway, Ballwin, Saturday, February 11, 9:30 a.m. until time of service at 11:30 a.m. Interment at Bellerive Gardens, Creve Coeur. Friends may sign the family's online guestbook at Schrader.com.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Leader Telegram on Feb. 9, 2023.

Memories and Condolences
for James Willa

Sponsored by Schrader Funeral Home and Crematory - Ballwin.

7 Entries

Greg DeShong

May 5, 2023

What a kind gentleman, friend and colleague. They don't make them like Jim anymore. He was THE PILLAR of the cooling tower Universe and will be sorely missed by all who knew him. A Class Act like no other. God Bless Jim and his family. May he rest in peace in the arms of God!

Bill Wurtz

March 8, 2023

Wishing the Willa family comfort and peace during this difficult time.
I met Jim in December, 1979 at a CTI meeting in Houston. Jim took me under his wing and guided me professionally in so many ways...
Jim touched so many lives in the very best way and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to know him.

Steve Hurd

February 11, 2023

The first weekend, his daughter, Karen, took me to meet her father, Jim, was a work weekend at the ranch. He was in the process of building a two story, barn-style, mult-car garage. At the backside there was a steep drop off down the hill. Karen and I were both in ROTC and I had just attended the Army's Parachute School. Jim wanted to see what I was made of so he took me up to the second floor and told me to climb out the back window to do some work. There was only a small slanted lip to stand on and about a 30 foot drop to the hillside below. The drop didn't look all too bad to me after Parachute School so I climb right out the window and started working (of course there wasn't any of that sissy safety equipment). That raised Jim's evaluation of me and so he thought it would be "okay" if I continued dating his daughter and eventually marry her.

Years later, I went with Jim as a traveling companion/helper while he inspected cooling towers in LA, the state of Washington, on the east coast and then back to St. Louis in just over a week. I learned first-hand how hard-working he was and I got a taste of what he had done all of his life. I also experienced the "joy" of keeping him awake while he drove cross-country. When he stated rubbing his forearms that was your clue he was falling asleep so start pestering him!

He had a good long journey, he worked long and hard, he dreamed big and accomplished a lot, and now it's time for a well-deserved rest.

Gary Stein

February 8, 2023

My deepest condolences to the Willa family. I was employed at Lillie-Hoffman for many years and Jim’s humor was legendary; he just drank milk, but was always the life of any party. When it was time to really party, he’d say it was time to “break out the hard stuff”, Eggnog! Rest In Peace, Jim

Bob Cunningham

February 8, 2023

My deepest condolences to the Willa family. Jim was one of the first people I met when I first attended CTI a lifetime ago and he became a life-long friend and a trusted mentor. Jim has been Mr. CTI for the entire history of the organization and he inspired many of us to follow his lead and to become deeply involved as well. We will all miss his humor, his whizdom, and his guiding hand.

Jess Seawell

February 8, 2023

My sincere condolences to the Willa family on the passing of a dear friend.
Jess Seawell

David Hutton

February 8, 2023

Heartfelt condolences to Jim's family from a long-time friend and fellow member of the cooling tower industry. That's a nice photo of Jim with the obituary, but my favorite photo shows Jim smiling in a hardhat and standing in the rain chamber of a cooling tower. Rest in peace, Jim.

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