James "Jim" Adkins

Jim Adkins, 73, of Great Falls, Montana, passed away on March 24, 2022, after a heroic battle against colon cancer.  A Celebration of Life will be held on SATURDAY, MAY 14 at 12:00 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 1315 Central Avenue in Great Falls.

Jim was born on June 1, 1948, in Maysville, KY, to James Arthur and Lillian (Kincaid) Adkins.  He was raised in Manchester, Ohio, by his parents along with his grandmother, Nina Kincaid.

After graduating from United Electronics Institute in Louisville, Kentucky, Jim served his country from 1968 to 1972 in the U.S. Air Force where he was trained as a missile systems analyst.  Following completion of his military service at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls, Jim opened his own electrical business. He later was employed by Deaconess (Benefis) Medical Center as the maintenance supervisor. 

Destiny stepped in and Jim met his true love, Penny Phipps.  They were married on March 26, 1977.  They spent the next 44 years together, happily living in Great Falls and spending time at their second home in Ocean Shores, WA.  The couple raised three dogs (Barney, Max and Coleman) as their beloved children.

An active member of First Presbyterian Church, Jim spent countless hours serving at the church in Great Falls and at Glacier Presbytery Camp on the west shore of Flathead Lake.  His experiences included service as Chair of the Camp Committee.  Jim had a great sense of humor and loved exchanging stories with friends.  An avid ham radio operator, he enjoyed camping, working on his cars and riding his motorcycles.  He made several road trips to South Dakota for the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.   After retirement, Jim volunteered for many service organizations, including CERT (Community Emergency Response Team). 

Jim will be missed by many, but especially his beloved wife, Penny Adkins.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Sletten Cancer Institute in Great Falls.

Condolences for the family may be shared online at www.croxfordfuneralhome.com.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of James "Jim" Adkins, please visit our floral store.