Frank Wilton James III

Frank Wilton James III, 78, died peacefully at his home in Sedona, Arizona, on January 19, 2015. He was born in Middletown, Ohio, on May 13, 1936 to Frank W. James, Jr. and Ruth Sower James. Known affectionately as "Rev" by his many young friends in Flagstaff, he was an ordained minister and proud graduate of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. He served in the US Air Force as a young man before attending Moody and working in several churches in the Chicago area. While in Illinois in the early and mid-1960s he worked with disadvantaged youth in his ministry.

He was a strong supporter of the civil rights movement and spoke fondly of marching in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. after he was killed. He would have gotten a kick out of his passing on MLK Day. His support of civil rights at that time was frowned upon by the church where he worked in South Bend, Indiana, and he decided to return to the Air Force as a civilian artist at Wright Patterson AFB in Fairborn, Ohio, where he worked for 33 years. His work with the USAF corresponded to the development of the computer and he learned to work with them in the early days of the technology and continued to learn new software programs well into his 70s. He was an accomplished artist and painted in a variety of styles and mediums including Japanese Sumi-e.

He was married in 1965 and raised two children in Springfield, Ohio. He was preceded in death by his son, David Mark. He is survived by his daughter Michele James, son-in-law Peter Friederici, and grandson Liam James Friederici. He moved to Flagstaff in 2006 and touched many lives here as he took up his ministry again, focusing on helping inmates at the Coconino County Jail and teaching cartooning to those in Juvenile Detention, and preaching monthly at the Sunshine Mission. He developed deep friendships with many of the young people he worked with and helped them spiritually as well as monetarily.

His faith was strong and he believed he had been called to return to his ministry and help youth who had been abused or had substance abuse issues. His heart was big enough to help all who needed it and he loved and felt loved by many.

A memorial will be held at 10:30 AM on February 7, 2015 at North Point Fellowship, 2004 E. Arrowhead Avenue in Flagstaff. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Teen Challenge of Arizona (www.tcaz.org).