James (Jim) C. Straka

James (Jim) C. Straka of Toledo, OH died on December 29, 2024 at the age of 73, passing away just a few short months after the love of his life, Joyce. Jim was born in Toledo, OH on January 3, 1951 to Frank and June Straka. 

He proudly graduated from Roy C. Start High School in 1969. Jim married Joyce Crowe on October 6, 1973, spending 51 years in marriage and raising two children. Jim worked many jobs over the years including sales, advertising, maintenance, and custodial, creating lifelong friendships everywhere he worked. 

Jim was a lung cancer survivor. Jim loved spending time with his family, and he was proud of the kindness his family showed in their work and lives. Jim had a gift for making and sustaining friendships. You could always count on him to run into someone he knew, to keep track of childhood friends, and to care about the smallest details of his friends’ lives. He spoke his mind, but was always respectful of those who disagreed. Jim enjoyed life, especially going to the family cottage in the Irish Hills of Michigan, tending to his vegetable garden, manicuring the perfect lawn, reading non-fiction books, watching his favorite sports teams (Guardians, Buckeyes, Browns, and Walleye), and sharing all of these experiences with friends and family. Jim was very proud of the fact that he was a 3 time consecutive winner of his fantasy football league, and he was the organizer of many NCAA brackets.

Jim was very witty and loved to tell jokes, but his favorite was teasing his grandsons. Jim always stated that the family motto was, “Win if you can, lose if you must, but always cheat!” In reality, Jim most valued loyalty and friendships above all else. 

He is survived by daughter Jill (Dennis) and son Jeff (Leslie); grandchildren Elijah (Lizzie), Aaron, and Jesse; brother Bill (Nancy); sisters-in-law Karen and Kathleen (Mike); great grandchildren (Olive and Mabel); and many nieces and nephews. Jim will always be remembered as an incredibly dedicated and loyal friend. 

Visitation with the family will take place on Saturday, February 1, at 11 a.m. at Fairgreen Presbyterian Church (3220 Laskey Rd., Toledo, OH 43613), followed by a celebration of life service at 12:30 pm. 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society or the American Red Cross.