James “Jim” Ross Mathewson

James “Jim” Ross Mathewson, age 82 of Sister Bay, WI, passed away on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.

Born August 9, 1943 as a “war baby”, Jim was raised by his loving young mother Joyce Warren, wise grandfather Kenneth Warren, and strict Catholic Brothers of his schools. Jim excelled at De La Salle High School graduating in 1961 on the National Honor Society, in part due to his unique strengths as a high-functioning individual on the autism spectrum. He spent much time at his grandfather’s house on Portland Ave. where he formed early lifelong friends (Bob, Rita, Warren, Rosemary, Bob, Willie, Rick, Mike, Lloyd, Eric, Chris, Butch, Bob, Michael, Joe, and more) at the neighboring Foss house. During his teenage summers, he worked at Red Owl grocery and summer resorts in northern Minnesota, where he learned the importance of courtesy and gradually overcame some of his shyness. Jim maintained his Minnesota friends for his lifetime through biannual group vacations with fishing, bocce, volleyball, cards, music, and story telling at Cass Lake, MN. They will certainly miss him.

In 1971 Jim moved to Illinois to begin his long career in telephony hardware design at AT&T Bell Labs after earning a technical degree at Dunwoody College of Technology. At Bell Labs he made another small circle of lifetime friends (Lynn, Darien, LRay, Lew, Bill, Thayl, Jim, Tony, Scott, Mary, Sue, Marya) through work clubs (golf, bowling, bocce, poker), Jim even found marriage twice which requires more space to tell than here. Jim did find a life partner with Sonja in 1991 but became solo again on her passing in 2007. Jim had retired from Lucent Technologies (aka Bell Labs) in 2001 and focused retirement on life with Sonja and hosting golf outings and poker nights with friends, always with great food and drink at his house after.

In 2016, Jim fulfilled his lifelong dream of escaping the cold Midwest winters by relocating to The Villages, Florida, where he thrived in the warm sunshine. Unfortunately, Jim developed dementia and in 2020 needed to move back to an apartment in the cold Midwest for help from friend Lynn Brunsen. Residing then in Sister Bay, WI where Jim enjoyed Door County summers with Lynn nearby (salmon fishing, nature, & pull tabs while drinking Jack D. at AC Tap).

In 2023 Jim moved to Serenity Springs Scandia at Sister Bay where he gained new friends from the wonderful nurses who’d dance with him going down the hall to meals. He also received loving care from Rachael V. and Lynn B. during these last years.

Jim left all his lifetime friends on May 26, 2026 and will be remembered by all. A small private remembrance will be held in Minneapolis where he’ll return to his first friends.