James Lester Persohn

James (Jim) Lester Persohn--loving husband, devoted dad, playful grandpa, systems engineer, Army veteran, and sports enthusiast—died peacefully with family present on December 16, 2025, at the age of 76. He enjoyed troubleshooting and problem-solving both at work and at home, and he was clever with words and sayings, until the memory thieves of atypical parkinsonism and Alzheimer’s combined to steal his coordination, creativity, and critical thinking skills.

Jim was born on September 5, 1949, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to his loving parents, Lester Robert Persohn and Alice Rose Thiel Persohn, both deceased. He attended grade school and junior high school in West Allis and graduated from West Allis Central High School. He earned his Associate in Applied Science Electronics Technology from Waukesha County Technical College and the Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Marquette University.

We are grateful for Jim’s active service in the United States Army from April 27, 1970, to December 16, 1971, when he was honorably discharged with the Specialist 4 rank. He served in Texas and Germany as an Electronic Instrument Repairman and Clerk with Security Clearance. Afterward, Jim proudly flew the American flag on our porch.

Jim retired from GE HealthCare after working there 40 years as a Systems Engineer in diagnostic imaging, including X-ray, Digital Fluoro, CT, and MRI. He holds a patent with two coworkers for designing an MRI imaging system phantom. This tool helps operators visualize an object in three dimensional space to verify image correctness.

Jim’s marriage of 50 years to Carol was a true partnership as they collaborated to make major decisions, complete household tasks, play sports, dance the polka, raise their three children, and play with their four grandchildren. Being an attentive listener and trusted sounding board savvy in work politics, he frequently helped Carol to clarify and evaluate her own thoughts and ideas. Jim selflessly provided for his family and mindfully safeguarded their well-being.

Jim taught his kids to downhill ski, water ski, sail, fish, play golf, and maintain their cars. He mentored their science projects and nurtured lasting life skills. Jim demonstrated how to tackle the unknown, research and experiment, analyze pros and cons, and identify the problem by changing one variable at a time. It was more important to learn how to learn rather than to get everything right on the first try.

In addition to renovating bathrooms and performing standard maintenance of appliances and vehicles, Jim designed and built a wraparound pool deck with a fence, a second story family room deck, and an elaborate children’s play structure. Any household project was considered successful if the task was accomplished with three or less trips to the hardware store.

While volunteer coaching youth soccer for eight years, Jim emphasized and modeled good sportsmanship. He strongly believed that young players deserved equal playing time, so he came to each game armed with his lineup card, substitution plan, and stopwatch.

As an avid sports fan, Jim cheered for the Brewers, Badgers, and Packers. He joined bowling leagues and coworker softball teams, and enjoyed volleyball, roller skiing, and cross country skiing. He downhill skied and snowboarded in several states, played golf at numerous courses in southeastern Wisconsin, and initiated annual water skiing challenges with his sister’s family on Silver Lake in Wautoma.

Jim will be deeply missed by his wife, Carol (née Cannistra) Persohn; children: Megan (Phil) Spindler, Lisa Persohn, and Kyle (Rebecca) Persohn; grandchildren: Kaylin and Nathan Spindler, Jack Borghgraef, and Grant Persohn; his sister, Margie (Mike) Bain; and Carol’s siblings, extended family members, and friends.

Internment of ashes will take place at Highland Memorial Park, although plans for a Celebration of Life are still being discussed.

Thank you to Home Instead loving caregivers for helping Jim stay at home as long as possible and also to the dedicated team at Hartland Terrace for their kindness and for their expert, compassionate care during his final weeks of life.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of James Persohn to Wounded Warrior Project, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Eastern Wisconsin, Initiative to End Alzheimer’s, or Center for Healthy Minds.