James "Jim" Lesley Howard, Sr. (June 21, 1950 - June 5, 2026)James "Jim" Lesley Howard, Sr., 75, passed on June 5, 2026 peacefully in his home, in St. Louis,MO after a long battle with Parkinson's.

Jim was born in St. Louis, MO on June 21, 1950 to James M. Howard and Helen A. Howard (neeYount). He was a proud graduate of Maplewood Richmond Heights High School in 1968, and Southwest Missouri State receiving his Bachelors Degree in Art in 1972. He served in the Peace Corps in Afghanistan from 1972-1974. Jim married his wife Kathleen "Kathy" L. Howard (neeBarton) on February 5, 1977. Jim owned and operated Bacchus and Barleycorn wine and beer supply store until 1992. He was also a founding member of the Missouri Winemaking Society and St. Louis Brews. He worked for ATT Yellow Pages until his retirement. After his retirement he worked in the produce department at Dierberg's until 2022. He also served on the advisory board and volunteered for Kathy's organization ABC Brigade working with other spouses of stroke survivors for support. His favorite thing to do though was to spend time with his four grandchildren, making grilled cheese and building crafts.

Jim is survived by his wife Kathy, his son Jim Jr., his daughter-in-law Abbey, his daughter Jayna, and his cousin Mary Beth. He was loving Papa to Erinn, Austin, James (III) and Ozzie. Jim was also proud uncle to many nieces and nephews.

Jim is preceded in death by his father James M., his mother Helen A. and his beloved grandmother Euseba.

Jim was known for his goofy sense of humor which will be greatly missed, his love of Star Trek, Lord of the Rings and Bob Ross, the painter of Happy Trees. Jim was a talented artist andpainter, he gifted many paintings over the years to his loved ones.

Visitation for Jim will be on July 11, 2026 from 1:00 pm until 3:00 pm with a Memorial Service to follow at 3:00 pm at Jay B. Smith Funeral Home in Maplewood, 7456 Manchester Rd Maplewood, MO 63143.Donations can be made in his name to the Michael J. Fox Foundation(https://www.michaeljfox.org/) for Parkinson's Research or the Missionaries of the LaSalette-St.Louis (https://lasalette.org/).