Obituary of James Lessely Ganaway

James Lessely Ganaway, 71, of Moberly, passed away peacefully January 5, 2019 at Brunswick Nursing and Rehab in Brunswick, MO. Jim was born April 26, 1947 in Springfield, IL to Mary Lou Williams and Edgar S. Williams. Jim was a graduate of Moberly High School. He served his country honorably in the United States Army from September 19, 1969 until September 19, 1972 earning the rank of SP4 and received a National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal and Vietnam Campaign Medal. In Vietnam, Jim served in Specialty Radio Communication Programming. On December 23, 1978, Jim married Sylvia Lewis in Moberly and they shared fifty-one years together. He was a member of Grant Chapel AME Church and worked as volunteer helper for the Dr. Martin Luther King Scholarship Program. He also volunteered as a tutor for the Jump Start Tutoring Program. Jim worked as a supervisor at the DuPont Plant in Moberly for twenty-three years before retirement. In his free time, he enjoyed hunting, fishing and especially playing cards and dominos with his friends. He enjoyed family barbeques and was a master at making homemade light rolls for church gatherings. Those preceding him in death are his parents, Edgar and Mary Lou Williams; brothers, Jerry and Edgar Williams Jr; children, Allen E. Lewis and Sheryl Y. Washington. He is survived by his wife Sylvia of Moberly; his children, Tim (Kim) Fugate of Moberly, Stacy Davis of Seattle, WA, Thomas “Tommy” D. Lewis of Moberly, Eureka Lewis of Indianapolis, IN, Cynthia D. Loving of Indianapolis, IN and Richard A. (Jocelyn) Lewis of Mililani, Hawaii. Jim also raised two of his grandchildren, Alonzo D. (Stacey) Lewis of Fort Worth, TX and Anjelica (Chon) Walters of Grandview, MO; siblings, David Williams and Mary Kristine Williams both of Columbia; twenty-three grandchildren, a host of great- grandchildren, extended family and many friends. A family led memorial service celebrating Jim’s life will be held Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 12:00 noon at the 2nd Missionary Baptist Church, 314 N. 5th Street, Moberly, MO followed by Military Honors and a Balloon Release. The family will be receiving guests from 11:00 a.m. until time of service. Inurnment will be January 18, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Jacksonville. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions would be appreciated to the 2nd Missionary Baptist Church.