James Roger McCrea, better known as Jim, passed away on September 28th, 2026, after a brief battle with cancer. He moved on from this world to heaven peacefully and surrounded by his loving family.
Jim was the son of Paul and Darlene McCrea and born on May 12th, 1944, in Spencer, Iowa, where the family would welcome his sister Jan as well. They made their home in Eldora, where Jim played football and basketball in high school, delivered milk, worked on a friend’s farm, and participated in the Boy Scouts. The family made several trips to visit their grandparents in St. Louis, and Jim became a lifelong Cardinals fan. Jim graduated with his Bachelor of Arts from William Penn University in 1967. During this time, while serving on the state lake patrol in Coralville, his cousin introduced him to her roommate and love of his life, Joyce DeWall, who was working at the University of Iowa.
Joyce and Jim were wed on December 24th, 1967, in Dubuque, Iowa and then moved to Fort Rucker, Alabama, as Jim had been drafted into the Army. They would later welcome their daughter Robin and moved back to Iowa after Jim completed his military service, where their sons Randall & Michael were born. The family would settle in the Iowa Great Lakes area where Jim’s grandparents and numerous extended relatives lived.
This move would lead Jim to a lifelong dedication to service, coaching youth sports, serving as a leader at Immanual Lutheran Church in Spirit Lake and the Milford community and, most importantly, bringing together his family and friends. He enjoyed coaching youth sports for his kids’ softball, baseball and basketball teams, driving bus for several years for many Jr. High and High School events, and even helped out little children at Joyful Journeys later in life. He served his community on the school’s booster club and community center board, and served on numerous committees and leadership roles at Immanual over the years, including Elder, President of the Congregation and Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
Jim had few things he loved in life, but he loved them completely, including golfing, the St. Louis Cardinals, the Minnesota Vikings and every Iowa Hawkeyes sport team. But most of all he loved his three children, his two grandchildren and especially Joyce, his wife of nearly 59 years.
Jim is survived by his wife Joyce McCrea, daughter Robin (Jan) McCrea, sons Randall (Mindy) McCrea and Michael (Andre) McCrea; granddaughter Grace McCrea, grandson John McCrea, and sister Jan Shafer. He was preceded in death by his father Paul; mother Darlene; father-in-law Henry; and mother-in-law Minnie; as well as numerous brothers- and sisters-in-law.
Memorials will be directed to Joyful Journey’s scholarship program at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Spirit Lake.
