LAKE CITY - James Yunek, 82, died Thursday, June 25, 2009 at Stewart Memorial Hospital in Lake City.
A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. Sunday at the Lake City Union Church in Lake City with Rev. Betty Weidert officiating. Burial will be in the Lake City Cemetery. Visitation will be from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday with the family present after 5 at Lampe Funeral Home in Lake City.
Jim Yunek was born to James and Josephine (Kavak) Yunek on July 20, 1926. From an Omaha hospital he went almost directly to the ball fields of Dodge, Nebraska where his baseball skills became legendary. He graduated from high school in 1944 with the nickname "champ".
Jim immediately enlisted in the Army at the age of 17. He served our country in the Pacific Theatre of WWII with the 6th Ranger Battalion. Jim was honorably discharged in 1946 and joined the US Marine Corps Reserve Program. He was a member of the local VFW and American Legion and served as Post 31 Vice Commander for 4 years.
He entered Wayne State Teacher's College on the GI Bill in 1947. During the summers he played minor league baseball in the Cardinals organization no small feat for a dedicated Cubs fan. It was at Wayne that he met the love of his life, Betty Lou Conner. He graduated in May of 1950 and the two were forever wed in Wakefield, NE the following August.
Jim and Betty quickly found employment at the high school in Bancroft, NE where Jim was principal and coach for four years. Their first son, Joel, was born May of 1954 and Jim received the first of his four Masters Degrees the following summer. The three then moved to Story City, IA where Jim became a classroom teacher and head football and baseball coach.
The family moved to Lake City, IA in 1955. While teaching high school social studies, Jim was also athletic director and coached football, basketball and track. His second boy, Jay, was born in 1957. For many years Jim ran a successful, if not challenging, athletic program at Lake City. He relinquished his AD duties in 1970 to devote his attention to full time teaching, golfing, gardening, hunting and sports officiating.
Mr. Yunek became a well known official in football, basketball and track. He officiated 24 football playoff games, including 4 state championships. In basketball, he refereed 8 years of boy's tournament games and 4 years of girl's. His no-nonsense approach to game management earned him a starter/assistant role in the Iowa state track meet "No one could run a track meet like Jim Yunek". Not surprisingly, he was inducted into the Iowa High School Hall of Fame as a football coach, basketball official, athletic director and track official.
In the summer months, Jim played golf and studied at many universities. Over time, he earned his Masters Degrees in Physical Education/Athletic Administration; History; Economics and Geography. He also had a passion for canoeing the Raccoon River with friends and the Boundary waters with his family.
In 1991, Jim and Betty retired from full-time teaching. He continued to substitute in area schools and for 3 years the couple taught English to students in the Czech and Slovak Republics. Jim's enjoyment of hunting ended with the passing of Rebby, his last of 4 Black Labradors. He spent much of his later years visiting and entertaining his grandchildren and friends.
Jim Yunek is survived by his wife, Betty; his sons Joel (Lisa) and Jay (Debra); and his grandchildren Jeffrey (Bess), Joseph and Sadie. He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother Virgil and sister Beulah.
He leaves a vast community of family, friends and former students enriched by his presence in their lives.