James Vykopal

Twelve years after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and nearly four years after entering memory care, Jim Vykopal died peacefully on December 16, 2024. He was 83 years old.
Jim was kind, funny, and uncomplaining.
Jim loved fishing, foraging for wild food, smoking meat, enjoying gelato, dancing polkas, attending yoga classes, eating pierogis, and having spicy Asian food lunches with dear friend Patrick.
He was born November 11, 1941, to a Polish Catholic blue-collar family in Toledo, Ohio. After attending a technical high school, he graduated from Miami University in Ohio with a degree in architecture in 1964. He then spent two years in the Peace Corps, working in Sousse and Gabes, Tunisia, where he designed and then supervised construction of vacation villages for French tourists.
Jim was recruited to St. Louis by Sverdrup Corporation, a broad-based architectural and engineering firm. He continued to work as an architect for the next three decade for several other firms in the area. His retirement job was conducting residential home inspections and energy audits. He was appointed to several City of Kirkwood boards, including Planning and Zoning, Adjustment, and the Public Library.
After being diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, Jim compensated for his symptoms by regularly attending the Rock Steady Boxing program to improve his balance, coordination, and strength. He also participated in two movement disorder studies at Washington University's neurology department.
His daughter Anya Vukopal passed away in 2020. Jim is survived by Christy Beckmann, his wife of 42 years. The family appreciates the help Jim received at Dolan Memory Care from Debbie Warren and her staff. At Jim's insistence, no services are planned. Contributions may be made in his memory to Missouri Botanical Garden at www.mobot.org or the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance at www.dbsalliance.org.