James Arthur Katt

James (Jim) Arthur Katt, 77, of Orlando passed away peacefully at home on Thursday evening, November 27, 2025, after battling Parkinson’s Disease for many years. His wife and children were with him.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Jim lived in Shaker Heights, where his father Arthur Katt pastored St. Peter’s Lutheran Church. The fourth and youngest child of Arthur, a widower, and the only child of Helen (Franzmann) Katt, Jim moved with his family to Orlando in 1958. He graduated from Oak Ridge High School, earned his B.S. and M.A. from Florida Technical University, now the University of Central Florida. He completed his PhD at UCF in 2003.

Jim retired in 2018 after 45 years of teaching in UCF’s Nicholson School of Communication and Media. He received awards for both his teaching and scholarship, including the Samuel L. Becker Distinguished Service Award from the National Communications Association. After his retirement, the Nicholson School honored Jim by naming him an Associate Professor Emeritus.

A self-taught musician and singer, music was a constant in Jim’s life. He was a founding member of The Barons, a high-school garage band that became a local favorite, playing at teen clubs, hotels, and nightclubs for years. They landed a WLOF Orlando top 40 hit for several weeks in 1967 with his song “Drawbridge.” Early in his career, Jim worked as a recording engineer, studio musician, and vice-president/general manager at Bee Jay Recording Studios in Orlando, producing multiple gold and platinum albums by bands including Molly Hatchet, Judas Priest, and Cameo. Later he played in the geezer-rock band Men with Mortgages, playing 20 years for charities, civic organizations, and class reunions, including the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association reunion, where The Animals’ “We Gotta Get out of this Place” was requested multiple times. He joyfully made music with his children, their spouses and friends, and his grandchildren with 14 years of Christmas “Family Band” concerts.

Jim was a modern-day tinker. He loved photography—the cameras, the shooting and the developing of his pictures. He loved woodworking, sailing, and all things electronic and mechanical. He loved animating his children’s imaginations with puppet shows and birthday videos that parodied SNL’s Weekend Update and was unconditionally committed to their innumerable and insane school projects.

Jim was active in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, continuing in the faith of his father and his uncles, Martin, Werner, and Gerhard Franzmann, all pastors and scholars. Jim served as an Elder and President of the congregation at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. He produced original music and videos for the Florida/Georgia District of LCMS and for 20 years worked as the Technical Director of Mass Events of LCMS National Youth Gatherings held in NFL stadiums.

Jim was predeceased by his parents Arthur and Helen Katt, brother John Katt, sisters Clarice Katt and Alice Perley, and stepson Thad Owens. He is survived by his wife of 26 years, Lindee Owens, children Emily Katt, William (Melissa) Katt, and Ellen (Mark) Estabrook, stepdaughter Jessica (Garrett Vygantas) Owens, and grandchildren Fern and Harvey Johnston, Amelia and Helen Katt, Penelope (PJ) and Louis Estabrook, and Stella and Henry Vygantas. His family also includes his devoted caregiver, Faye Clemons.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, on January 10, 2026, at 10 am. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Music Ministry, 1515 S. Semoran Blvd, Orlando, Florida 32806.

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