James L. Piper

WARSAW- James Lee Piper, 74, passed away August 1, 2024, at Genesis Hospital in Zanesville.

He was born September 9, 1949, to the late Lloyd and Mary (Davis) Piper in Conneaut OH. On July 30, 1983, he married Gail Littler Piper, his wife of 41 years.

Raised on a farm in Cherry Valley Township in Ashtabula County, agriculture was a mainstay of Jim’s life. He was a member of FFA at Pymatuning Valley High School where he graduated in 1967. He started college at Kent State University, transferred to The Ohio State University, and graduated as a proud Buckeye in 1971 with a bachelor’s degree in agronomy.

Jim enjoyed rural and agricultural life and worked throughout his years to promote conservation practices. After college, Jim was hired by USDA Soil Conservation Service (which later became Natural Resources Conservation Service) and worked as a Soil Conservationist in Ironton, and then Van Wert where he became a District Conservationist. In 1978, Jim moved to Coshocton to become the Area Conservationist for Area 3. He later was chosen as an Assistant State Conservationist in Florida, covering the lower half of the state, and retired in 2004 as the Assistant State Conservationist for Operations in West Virginia, completing a career that spanned over 33 years.

Jim was a very giving and patient man with a great sense of humor and a curious nature. He saw the best virtues in people and was always ready to lend a helping hand, which led to his involvement in several churches, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, 4-H, Jaycees. A member of the Soil and Water Conservation Society, he received a SWCS Commendation Award in 1997 at the international conference in Toronto Canada. He was always on the hunt for the elusive “barrel full of hundred dollar bills” and claimed that he liked to “learn from the mistakes of others because he couldn’t live long enough to make all of them himself”. He believed in living beneath his means (he used the word “frugal”) so he could enjoy his favorite pastimes when he had the chance, claiming that “the time to shoot ducks is when they’re flying over”. These traits led him to enjoy downhill skiing, fishing, reading historical materials and novels, woodworking, and traveling. He visited all 50 states and several Canadian provinces, exploring nearly 50 National Parks plus many other Park Service sites. He also enjoyed his time traveling to countries in Europe and to American Samoa. After retirement, he joined the Coshocton County Woodcarvers where he enjoyed the company of the members as well as learned to carve. An avid Buckeye fan, he rarely missed a chance to root for his favorite team – especially when they played *ichigan

Jim is survived by his wife, Gail, and three children, Tammi (Bounthavy Soungpradith) Rogers of Coshocton, Pete (Kellie) Rogers of Lexington, OH, and Carmen (Hector Munoz) Rogers of Queens, NY. Grandchildren include Jett Soungpradith of Ft. Hood TX, and Simon & Phoebe Munoz of Queens, NY. Other survivors include many nieces and nephews, plus other extended family members and many beloved friends and co-workers.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Will Piper.

Visitation will be held at Fischer Funeral Home in Warsaw, OH from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, August 6, 2024. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, August 7th at the funeral home, with Rev. David Hill and Rev. Suzanne Hill officiating. FischerFuneralHome.com

Memorial contributions may be made to: Cherry Valley UMC, 3353 US-6 Andover, OH 44003; Conesville UMC, PO Box 186 Conesville, OH 43811; or OFSWCD – Ohio Envirothon 8995 East Main St. Reynoldsburg, OH 43068.

As Jim would say, “It’s been a real slice of life” – O – H!!!