James “Jim” Michael McDevitt

James “Jim” Michael McDevitt

Perry

James “Jim” Michael McDevitt, age 78, of Perry, passed away peacefully on February 26, 2025 at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines. Jim was born on June 14, 1946, the son of Francis Eugene “Shanty” and Margaret Edith Snedden McDevitt, at King’s Daughter Hospital in Perry, Iowa.

As a boy, Jim loved playing and watching most sports, especially baseball, patterning his game after hall-of-famer, the “Say Hey Kid” Willie Mays. Jim and his siblings Keith, Dan and Diane were raised in Perry, graduating from Boone High School in 1964. Jim attended Northwest Missouri State in Maryville, Missouri before enlisting in the United States Navy in March 1967 during the escalation of the Vietnam War. Jim proudly served for 3 years as an Aviation Ordnanceman aboard the USS Enterprise Aircraft Carrier, earning the National Defense, Vietnam Service and Armed Forces Expeditionary Medals.

Jim returned to Perry in 1970, beginning his lifelong career with Iowa Electric Light & Power (now Alliant Energy) working alongside Shanty at Perry’s Steam Plant. In 1975 Jim met the only true love of his life, Marilin Kay Wilke of Boone, marrying on November 20, 1976. Jim & Marilin’s children, Matthew (“Matty”) James and Melissa (“Missy”) Anne were born in November 1977 and December 1978, respectively, at Dallas County Hospital.

In 1981, the McDevitt family transferred with Jim’s company to Cedar Rapids, Iowa (where they raised their children) as Jim began working at Alliant’s Prairie Creek Power Station as a Mobile Equipment Operator. Jim loved competing in fast and slow pitch softball with his coworkers and son, finally hanging his cleats up in the late 1990s. Jim loved coaching Matty and Missy in baseball and softball, teaching and refining fundamentals that would ultimately lead each of them to multiple Iowa High School 4A state qualifying births and one championship with the Jefferson J-Hawks (of which Jim never missed a game).

Another of Jim’s passions was cheering on his beloved San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Rams and Iowa State Cyclones. Jim enjoyed traveling, especially to professional and amateur sports stadiums around the U.S. Jim loved his family very much (especially the grandkids), visiting Missy, Paul & Jordan at their San Francisco, California home and Matty, AnneMarie, Sophie, Maddie & Matthew in Perry (so much so that they moved to Perry in 2018 to be closer to the rest of their close-knit Central Iowa family!).

Jim is survived by his wife of 40 years Marilin, son Matthew (AnneMarie Spellman), daughter Melissa (Paul Doherty), grandchildren Sophia, Madeline, Matthew and Jordan and sister Diane (Milke Knight). Preceding Jim in death were his parents Shanty and Margaret McDevitt, his brothers Keith and Dan McDevitt and many beloved members of his extended family.

A visitation for family and friends will begin at 2:00 p.m., followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 3:00 p.m. on Monday, March 3, 2025, at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Perry. Burial with Military Honors will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at Violet Hill Cemetery in Perry. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Perry Food Pantry. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.caldwellparrish.com.