James Arden Emert, 76, passed away on February 17, 2025 at his home in Houston, Texas.
Jim was born in Bluffton, Ohio on March 17, 1948, and was the son of the late Paul and Esther (Nis Wonder) Emmert, and grew up with four brothers in the countryside Bluffton. He graduated from Bluffton High School in 1966, followed his parents' love of music by playing trombone in high school marching bands and orchestras, and sang in high school choirs, and graduated from Bluffton's first Mennonite youth and adult choir. His family life centers around family singing, swimming, boating, fishing and ice skating at the farm pond that he shares with his Hilti neighbors.
After attending Bluffton University for a year, he left the university in 1968 and served as an alternative service at Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas. After two years of service, he stayed at Methodist Hospital and became a kidney dialysis technician. In his early days in Houston he had a sailing vessel that often departed in Galveston Bay. In December 1980, he was shot in the face while trying to help a cashier while robbing a gas station. As a result, Jim lost his eyes, many functions on his right side, and after that his communication skills were very limited. After years of treatment and surgery, he was able to open up different roles in Methodist Hospital dialysis aggregation, which maintains and repairs dialysis devices while living independently. Despite his physical limitations, Jim has been driving regularly to Ohio during summer holidays for many years, visiting friends and family.
After retirement, he continued to live in Houston. Jim was one of the first members of Houston Mennonite Church, where he continued to operate for the rest of his life, playing a different role in the church, including songs and photographs. HMC members and pastors have received ongoing support for the gym, especially amid several major health crises. Jim never expressed anger or res over the restrictions he had lived in for more than 40 years.
Jim was killed by his parents and sister-in-law, Diana Sabatter Emmert, brothers-in-law Richard Sorg, Jonathan Shepherd, Joe Kalassi, step-in-law Coober, Dave Coober and Alexis “Lexy” Coober. He was survived by his four brothers, Jan Paul Emmert of Bluffton, Ohio, Joanne Pat Shepherd Carassi of Columbus, Sally Jean Sorg of Columbus, and Richard John Emmert of Tokyo. and two nies, one nephew, Jonathan “Jay” Shepherd (Alexander Drama Slovalik) of Los Angeles, and Juliet Solg Coover of Plain City, Columbus, Ohio, and Michelle Solg Kernszelby (Mike Zelby) of Columbus, Ohio. Also grandparents are Brandi Coober, Karissa Coober Sorg (Bryce Sorg), Miranda Coober, Daniel Carnes, and numerous maternal and paternal cousins.
A gym service ceremony will be held at Houston Mennonite Church at Central Time on Saturday, March 1st at 10:30am. This is live streamed on Zoom.
