James Emmett “Jim” Meier, 82, a former Park Ridge resident and Sentry Insurance vice president, died Friday, Jan. 1, 2016, in Wausau.

A visitation memorial is scheduled at Shuda Funeral Chapel – Stevens Point from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 7.

A Memorial Mass and internment will be held at a later date in Fort Atkinson.

Memorials in his name are requested for the Park Ridge
Wisconsin Volunteer Fire Department or Operation Bootstrap in Stevens Point.

Condolences may be offered online at www.shudafuneral.com.

Mr. Meier was born May 24, 1933, in Chicago, Ill., a son of
the late Carl F. and Margaret Virginia (Toner) Meier. He graduated from Fort
Atkinson High School in 1951.

He was married to LouAnn Behrend Dec. 29, 1956, in
Jefferson.

He served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force from
1953 to 1958 prior to graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in
1960.

He began his career in insurance with Mass Mutual before
joining Sentry Insurance, where he was hired as the first group insurance
specialist. The job at the Sentry Headquarters brought him and his family to
Stevens Point in 1970.

During his years at Sentry he earned his Chartered Life
Underwriter (CLU) and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) designations and
retired in 1994 as vice president of Special Accounts.

He and his wife resided in Park Ridge until after his
retirement. Since that time they have spent their time between their home on
Hagerman Lake in Iron River, Mich., and a winter home in Mimbres, N.M.

He was active in the community, serving on the Park Ridge
Village Board and the Park Ridge Volunteer Fire Department, where he was fire chief
prior to his retirement. He was a member of the Elks in Stevens Point and the
Moose in Deming, N.M., as well as the American Legion. He and his wife were
also active members of the Stevens Point Curling Club.

Survivors include his wife of 59 years, LouAnn, Iron River,
Mich.; four daughters, Kathleen Meier, Dallas, Texas, Marla (Jeff) Fischer,
Fond du Lac, Susan (John) O’Loughlin, Madison, and Christine (Jay) Wojcik,
Schofield; one sister, Carol Ann Angeli, Iron River, Mich.; one brother,
Richard (Elizabeth) Meier, Fort Atkinson; six grandchildren; and two
great-grandchildren.