James Acheson

James Springer Acheson, 91, of Champaign, died at 4:44 am Monday, July 14, at home.

Jim was born in Urbana, IL on October 8, 1933 to Walter Henry and Ruth Springer Acheson.  He grew up with his sister Ann in Champaign, which was his home for nearly all of his 91 years. 

Jim attended Champaign schools except for two years spent in Washington D.C. during WWII while his father served in the Office of Price Administration.  He graduated from Champaign High School in 1951, where he played football and baseball.  His Senior year highlight was as Captain when the Maroons won the 1950 Big 12 football championship.   

As a student at the University of Illinois, Jim was in the Naval ROTC as well as Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity.  He graduated in 1955 with a BS from the College of Commerce and Business Administration and was commissioned into the Navy, assigned to Long Beach, CA. 

Jim married his high school sweetheart, Emily Ann “Jill” Hanafee, on December 3, 1955, while on leave, and they were married 57 years until her death in 2013.   

Following Jim’s Navy tour in 1957, Jim and Jill returned to Champaign to raise their family.  Jim worked in the family ready-mix concrete and building material business, Somers-Barr (later Central Material Co.) with his father and took ownership upon his dad’s death in 1967.  He stayed with the business, together with his son Bill, until they sold it in 1997.

Jim and Jill lived their lives devoted to their family and community.  They raised four children and enjoyed the happy chaos provided by their six grandchildren, each of whom they were exceedingly proud.

They spent countless hours in support of local organizations as well as assisted people in their path who were struggling.  The Achesons hosted many gatherings in their home and deeply appreciated the accompaniment of lifelong friends, especially when they lost their son Steve in an auto accident in 1980 at age 18.

As a business leader, Jim was a member of the Champaign Chamber of Commerce and Champaign Rotary Club.  He served on the Boards of First Federal Savings & Loan Association, later First Federal Savings Bank of Champaign-Urbana (Chairman 1997-1999), Great American Bankcorp, Inc., Plastic Container Corporation, and C-U Sanitary District (President) as well as several boards related to the building industry.  He also served as a Republican Precinct Committeeman for many years and was a member of St. Peters United Church of Christ, where he served several terms on the Consistory.

Much of Jim’s time was invested in the Champaign Rotary Club.  He was a 50+ year member with near perfect attendance, beginning in 1968.  He served as President in 1976-77, and it was under his leadership that the Rotary Action Auction and the WGRC Inc. (Champaign Rotary Foundation) were established. 

Continuing his Phi Kappa Psi affiliation as a UI alum, Jim led the Illinois Delta chapter as President of the House Corporation for many years, served for 10 years on the UI Board of Fraternity Affairs, and was later inducted into the Phi Kappa Psi Hall of Fame. Both of his sons and grandson Adam also initiated into Illinois Delta. 

Never one to relax, Jim rounded out his days with sports.  When asked for highlights, he pointed to playing Augusta National Golf Club in 1969, duck hunting in Stuttgart, Arkansas, and attending the Indianapolis 500 for over for 40 years. 

After he started running at age 40, Jim gutted through 25,000 miles and was a founding member of the Second Wind Running Club in 1983 along with his ‘running buddies,’ all of whom became lifelong friends.  His training culminated in completion of the Boston Marathon at age 48. 

In the summer of 1972, the Achesons embarked on the first of many RV trips to see the country, concentrating on the National Parks.  Six years and 50,000 miles coast-to-coast in a Winnebago garnered a lifetime of memories for the whole family, and a family cruise to Alaska was added in 2000 that included all of their grandchildren.  Jim eventually visited all 50 states and traveled abroad with Jill.  He considered those trips, as well as family gatherings put together by Jill, as the best times of his life.

Jim found companionship in the last several years of his life with Bonnie Kelley of Champaign, who passed away suddenly in 2024.  Together they widened their circle of friends and were welcomed into each other’s family celebrations.

Jim is survived by his children Bill Acheson of Champaign, Suzanne (Brian) Warner of Greenville, SC, Amy (Ata) Durukan of Champaign; his grandchildren Alex (Mallory) Acheson of College Grove, TN, Sarah (Zachary) Weinberg of Pittsburgh, PA, Anna (Joshua) Bodfield of Taylors, SC, Adam (Sarah) Acheson of Bettendorf, IA, Scott (Hannah) Warner of Columbia, SC,and Erin Durukan of Dallas, TX; 10 great grandchildren: Myer and Maddie Acheson, Emily and Sabin Weinberg, Lucy and Leo Bodfield, Avery and Bennett Acheson, and Thompson and Clara Warner.  Also surviving are his sister Ann Acheson Bailey of Cumming, GA; daughter-in-law Eva Acheson of Franklin, TN, brothers-in-law Jim Hanafee of Pleasonton, CA and Patrick (Valerie) Hanafee of Aurora, CO, cousins Jim Acheson of Camp Verde, AZ and Bill Acheson of Flagstaff, AZ, and many nieces and nephews.

In addition to his wife Jill, Jim was preceded in death by an infant brother, Walter Henry Acheson Jr., his son Stephen Walter Acheson, brother-in-law Jim Bailey, sister-in-law Doris Hanafee, and cousin Jane Acheson Lacy.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Champaign Park District Foundation (706 Kenwood Road, Champaign, Il 61821, www.champaignparks.org) in recognition of the baseball fields where his sons and grandsons played for many years, and of West Side Park, which gave him beautiful and entertaining views from his home.

Jim will be buried in a private ceremony at Roselawn Cemetery.  There will be a Memorial Service at St. Peter's United Church of Christ (905 S. Russell) in Champaign at 2:00 on Monday July 21.  Friends may greet the family immediately following the service in the Fellowship Hall at a catered reception until 5:00.  

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