James L. Cornelius
James Luke Cornelius III passed away on 7/13/2023 in Downers Grove, Illinois.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Betty Fisher Cornelius, his father, Dr.
James Luke Cornelius Jr, his mother, Jewel Gose Cornelius, and his brother, Dr. Samuel Gose Cornelius. Born in Hale, Missouri but raised mostly in Edina, Missouri, after graduating college, Jim, or “Harry” as his friends called him, spent most of his life teaching English and foreign languages on American military bases in Japan, France, and finally Bitburg, Germany. He is survived by two nephews, Brett and Wells Cornelius, and a niece, Julie Haller. He is also the beloved uncle to five grand nephews and nieces.
Jim traveled the world extensively and spoke up to seven languages. He made many lifelong friends along the way and was loved by so many for his kind nature, great storytelling and ready laugh. He will be dearly missed.
Visitation 4-7 p.m. Wednesday July 26th at Hallowell & James Funeral Home, 301 75th St., Downers Grove. Funeral service 11 a.m. Friday July 28th at Hudson-Rimer Funeral Home, 408 E. Morgan St., Edina, MO. Interment to follow at Linville Cemetery in Edina.
Funeral home phone 630-964-6500
To uncle Jim’s niece and nephews:
This is Marcia Gruver Doyle, Jim’s niece on Betty‘s side. I sent uncle Jim a Christmas card that was returned and so I came across this. I am so sorry to hear this. My condolences to your family. I’m so glad he had you.
He was teaching Spanish in Misawa Japan when I was a boy. Later he was also teaching Spanish at Itazuke Japan when I was a teenager. The yearbook in Misawa 1962 had his favorite saying as ” Please , you are disturbing my class…”
This is he and his wife in a 1965 yearbook from Itazuke Japan http://www.itazuke.org/wordpress/documents/bamboos/itazuke1965.pdf