James “Jim” Haddad
James “Jim” Haddad
Hiawatha
James “Jim” Haddad, 67, of Hiawatha, passed away on August 8, 2024, surrounded by family in his home. Visitation will be held at St. George Orthodox Church on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, from 3:30-7:00 p.m., where there will be a Trisagion service beginning at 7:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held at St. George Orthodox Church on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, beginning at 10:00 a.m. with burial to follow at St. George Cemetery. Brosh Chapel and The Avacentre in Cedar Rapids is overseeing arrangements.
James “Jim” Anthony Haddad was born on March 4, 1957, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the son of James and Betty (Ruffin) Haddad. Jim is survived by his loving wife of thirty-seven years, Jo Ellen (Sindelar) Haddad, his children Anthony (Karen), Nicole (James) and grandchild Stella. Jim was preceded in death by his parents.
Jim’s entire life has centered around serving St. George Orthodox Church, the Cedar Rapids Community, and his family. He was a dedicated husband, father, grandfather “Giddee” and friend. Jim attended Washington High School and continued his education at the University of Iowa, graduating with a BBA in Accounting and a devotion to Iowa Hawkeye sports.
He started his storied career as an accountant with McGladrey Hendrickson & Co. in the Chicagoland area before joining Art Christofferson at Teleconnect, a competitive long-distance provider in Cedar Rapids. His strong work ethic fueled his rise to VP of Finance. From there, as part of the leadership team, he aided in the IPO of Teleconnect and transformed the publishing business into an independent company called Telecom*USA Publishing. Jim served as VP of Finance and CFO for many years before the company was sold to McLeod USA. As COO of McLeod USA Publishing, Jim helped orchestrate the sale of the company to Yell Group, and served as the CFO of YellowBook USA before starting the next chapter in his career.
Jim combined his love for the community and his entrepreneurial spirit by creating Haddad Consulting Services, Inc., where he used his business experience and leadership skills to advise numerous Cedar Rapids businesses and charitable organizations. Jim never left anyone behind in his success and took great pride in helping others succeed around him.
Sharing his time and talents was important to Jim as he served on the boards for Junior Achievement, Big Brothers & Big Sisters, the Greater Cedar Rapids Foundation, and the United Way of East Central Iowa. Beyond the boardroom, Jim’s first priority was his faith and family. He was the President of St. George Orthodox Church, a member of The Order of St. Ignatius, and Tony and Nicole’s number one fan at sporting events and dance recitals.
Jim loved spending time with his wife Jo. They especially loved traveling together, spending their fall weekends with family and friends hosting Hawkeye football tailgates and their winters in Vail, Colorado, where Jim fell in love with skiing during his early retirement. Jim enjoyed food and dining experiences, especially if the food was “tremendous.” He never said no to dessert and loved Jo and Nicole’s kitchen creations.
Jim will be remembered as a person who always thought of others before thinking of himself. His integrity and values covered all avenues of his life.
The Haddad family would like to extend a special thank-you to Mercy’s Hall Perrine Cancer Center and UIHC’s 3JCP Stem Cell Transplant Ward for their loving and compassionate care.
Donations in Jim’s memory may be directed to the James & Jo Ellen Haddad Donor-Advised Fund at the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation or Jim Haddad’s St. George Orthodox Church Memorial Fund.
Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.broshchapel.com.