James Auer Jr. of Batavia, Illinois, died peacefully on June 28, 2026, surrounded by loving family in Mequon, Wisconsin. He was 82. Born in Moline, Illinois, on July 5, 1943, and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Jim spent nearly every summer enjoying life in Pentwater, Michigan, at his family’s beloved cabin. At 19, Jim enlisted in the U.S. Army and served with the 1st Cavalry Division, working in the Counter Intelligence Corps in South Korea, where he learned several colorful Korean phrases he much later gleefully taught his children.

In 1972, at a party in Chicago, he met Carol Joyce, a fellow teacher. It was love at first sight (for him, anyway; Carol took a little persuading). They married in 1973 and enjoyed 53 love-filled years together, raising three daughters and later whole-heartedly welcoming a fourth (a story he couldn’t get enough of sharing).

Jim was an avid hunter and gun enthusiast, a self-taught mechanic and lover of classic cars, spending countless hours on all these pursuits with his best buddy, Tom. Over the years he restored several vehicles, including a 1954 Ford pickup, a 1960 Plymouth, and a 1952 MGTD. He was thoughtful and kind, a big guy with a bigger heart who was passionate about progressive politics. He loved art (especially by his brothers, Camp and Chip, sister-in-law, Georgia and friends, Jerry and Madeline) and was a gifted storyteller and inveterate jokester.

Jim constantly undertook ambitious DIY projects, from casting his own bullets to completing major home renovations. Garages and garage sales were his natural environment. He collected antiques and interesting objects and owned more hammers than most people would consider sane. He loved to tinker and to explore and to fix things himself. He loved to listen to rock music, to laugh with friends, to brag about his grandkids, and to tease his wife.

More than anything, he loved his family. Jim is survived by wife Carol; daughters: Lila D. (Scot), Martina (Michael), Catherine (Hayden), and Jameson (Paul); granddaughters: Matilda, Evalyn, Madeline, and Abeline; and siblings: Joan (Tommy), Sally, and Campbell. He was preceded in death by his father, mother, stepfather, and brothers, Chip and Chris Wulff.

He will be desperately missed. Donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in lieu of flowers. 

The family will hold a memorial celebration in honor of Jim’s life.