James Milo Venus

James Milo Venus, Colonel Venus, Jim, Jimmy, Jimbo, Eniste, Daddy, Dad, Dede, a man of many names, loved by many people all over the globe, with 76 years of world experience under his belt, passed peacefully to the other side on December 12, 2025 at 6:11pm in Kyle, TX in the presence of his loving and loyal wife, Vuslat Venus, and two loving and adoring daughters Rümeysa Eleanna Venus and Andrea Dilara Venus Ozarowski. His loving grandchildren, Mavi Yakub and Milek Rü were nearby and holding him in their hearts. We miss him dearly, and feel his presence in the world around us and know he is still with us in spirit.

James was born at Barksdale AFB in Louisiana on October 7, 1949, to Eleanna Handley Venus and Paul Joseph Venus, and raised in Greenville, TX living with his mother, grandparents, Dr. and Mrs. JJ Handley and sister Margaret Susan Venus. For anyone who knew Jim, he had a thirst for adventure, a wild spirit and a genuine curiosity about the world. At a young age he was drawn to flying which drew him to ROTC attending the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, MS. Though his original goal was to serve as an Air Force pilot, his demonstrated excellence led the Air Force to place him in leadership roles within logistics. He served for 28 years, on countless bases in critical geopolitical areas and war zones throughout the world, and retired as a Colonel for the United States Air Force. His field of logistics led him to Eskisehir, Turkey, in 1978, where he met Vuslat who became his wife and the love of his life, and some might say this is where the real adventure started. His family and friends can attest that he was a true servant to this country and gave all he had to the varying roles in his military career in pursuit of American values. He was a natural-born leader, exuding confidence, social charm and humor, and most importantly, a genuine egalitarian nature- treating all those who crossed his path with respect and authentic kindness.

They say home is where the heart is, which becomes all the more relevant when your career moves you every one to three years. Jim considered home to be wherever he was with his family, who accompanied him on nearly every PCS and many TDYs for the entirety of his career including Turkey, Germany, Italy, Spain and the US. When asked if he regretted that he didn't become a pilot, he said proudly, "No, I would have never met Vus and had my girls and the life we shared together." Vus and Jim were true loves. Vus devotedly gave up everything to share her life with him and would do it again in this lifetime, and every lifetime. Even their marriage was an adventure as they had to overcome objections to the wedding and went to great lengths, including bribery, in order to get married. If you ask anyone who knew Jim to any extent, they will tell you that he was larger than life itself, and he loved his wife, daughters and grand kids tremendously and was very proud of all of them.

His life was a mirror of his generous, kind-hearted, fun-loving nature as he was always surrounded by people who loved and supported him. He prioritized enjoyment in life and shared that joy with his loved ones. Photo albums are loaded with memories of vacations with family and friends, swimming, skiing, and eating any and every delicacy across the world.The love he developed for skiing and ocean snorkeling earlier in his youth encouraged him to raise his daughters as avid swimmers, spending endless summer days collecting seashells along the rocky Aegean Coast of Turkey, and skiing every mountain peak nearby. Later in life he built a swimming pool on his property so his grandchildren could enjoy summers with their grandparents, creating memories that would last a lifetime. Everyone who knew Jim knew he had a soft spot for good food and good times, and he always seemed to know where to find them, in at least four languages. Vus, however, was always his favorite chef. He often joked that he knew enough of the local language to eat, drink, shop, and get married.