James Lessing Mengis

James "Jim" Lessing Mengis passed away on December 15, 2023 at Briarwood Health Care Center. He was 94 years old.
Per his wishes, a celebration of life and scattering of cremains will take place in Minnesota at a later date.
Jim was born December 19, 1928 in Winnebago, Minnesota. He was the son of Ferdinand and Patricia (Roberts) Mengis.
After graduation from high school in Spring Valley Minnesota, Jim studied at Winona State College and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. During this time, he also served in the U.S. Naval Reserve.
He worked in the Radiology Department at the Mayo Clinic and Saint Mary's Hospital in Rochester until 1968. He then moved to Iowa City and worked for Philips Healthcare USA selling imaging and diagnostic equipment. He retired in 1990 to pursue his hobbies.
Jim's many hobbies included: rebuilding his Taylorcraft airplane, hiking, camping, exploring state and national parks, canoeing, ice skating, hockey, gardening, and ice fishing. He loved being outdoors even in the cold Minnesota winters. He taught all of his children how to ice skate as soon as they learned to walk. The greatest gift he passed on to his children was his love of nature and the time that he spent with them outdoors exploring the natural world with reverence.
The family would like to thank all of the staff at Briarwood Health Care Center and Essence of Life Hospice for the care they provided Jim during his last 2.5 years.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents: Ferdinand and Patricia Mengis; his wife of 69 years, Eileen (Macken) Mengis; his son, Robert Allen Mengis and his brother, Thomas Mengis.
He is survived by daughters: Mary Elizabeth Kundert (Michael) of Iowa City, Iowa, Lou Ann Kraus (Perry) of Braselton, Georgia and Linda Butterfield (Geoffrey) Jackson of Wyoming; his sister, Mary Ann Mc Dermott Woodbury of Minnesota and his grandchildren: Katrina Harrison, Kathleen Smith and Logan Sears as well as his great grandchildren: Christian (Parker) Smith, Addison Smith and Keira Harrison.
In lieu of flowers the family requests memorials be directed to: