James Arden Emmert, 76, died in his home in Houston, Texas on February 17, 2025.

Jim was born on March 17, 1948, in Bluffton, Ohio, the son of the late Paul and Esther (Niswander) Emmert, and grew up with his four siblings in rural Bluffton. He was a 1966 graduate of Bluffton High School where he followed his parents’ love of music playing trombone in the high school marching band and orchestra and singing in the high school choir as well as the Bluffton First Mennonite youth and adult choirs.  His family life growing up centered on family singing, swimming, boating, fishing and ice skating on a farm pond shared with Hilty neighbors.

After attending Bluffton College for a year, he left college in 1968 to do alternative service at the Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas. After finishing his two years of service, he stayed on at Methodist Hospital and became a kidney dialysis technician. During those early years in Houston he had a sail boat which he often took out on Galveston Bay. In December 1980, he was shot in the face while attempting to help a cashier during a gas station robbery. As a result, Jim lost an eye and much functioning of his right side, and thereafter was severely limited in his ability to communicate. After years of therapy and surgeries, he was able to carve out a different role at Methodist Hospital Dialysis annex maintaining and repairing dialysis equipment, while living independently. Despite his physical limitations, Jim regularly drove up to Ohio during summer vacations for many years to visit friends and family. 

After retirement he continued to live in Houston. Jim had been one of the first members of the Houston Mennonite Church, where he remained active the rest of his life, taking different roles in the church, including singing and photography. HMC members and pastors have been a continuing support to Jim, especially during several major health crises. Jim never expressed anger or resentment about the limitations he lived under for his last forty-plus years.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents as well as a sister-in-law, Diana Sabater Emmert, brothers-in-law Richard Sorg, Jonathan Shephard, and Joe Carrassi, and nephew-in-law, Dave Coover, and grand niece, Alexis “Lexi” Coover.  He is survived by his four siblings, Jan Paul Emmert of Bluffton, Ohio,  Joan Pat Shephard Carrassi of Columbus, Sally Jean Sorg of Columbus and Richard John Emmert of Tokyo, Japan; also one nephew, Jonathan “Jay” Shephard (Aleksandra Maslovaric) of Los Angeles, and two nieces, Juliet Sorg Coover of Plain City, Ohio, and Michelle Sorg Carnes Zerby (Mike Zerby) of Columbus, Ohio; also grandnieces Brandi Coover, Carissa Coover Sorg (Brice Sorg), Miranda Coover and Danielle Carnes, as well as numerous maternal and paternal cousins.

A memorial service will be held for Jim at the Houston Mennonite Church on Saturday, March 1 at 10:30 a.m. Central Time, which will be live-streamed on Zoom.