James Redding

On May 31, 2013, James Victor Redding, age 90, died after a long battle with esophageal cancer. Jim was the son of James Thomas Redding and Nora (Parkey) Redding. He was born in Lafayette Indiana, in 1922 while his father was attending Purdue University on a WWI disabled veterans benefit. During his childhood, he lived in Bluffton, Indiana until 1939, when his family moved to Seymour Indiana. Jim graduated from Shields High School in Seymour, Indiana in 1940. After graduation, he was a concrete technician during the construction of Freeman Airfield at Seymour. He then attended the University of Wisconsin until 1943 when he enlisted in the US Army. During WW2, Jim served as a combat medic with the 71st division. He fought in several major battles in Germany where he was wounded several times receiving a total four Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts. In 2008, he was awarded a fifth Bronze Star for his service as ground infantry in WW2. During the war, in June of 1944, he married his childhood sweetheart, Jean Cummins Frazier. After WW2, Jim used his veterans benefits and attended IU attaining a degree in microbiology. In 1952, he became the supervisor of parenterals at the Central Pharmacal Company in Seymour. In 1960, he moved to Upper Montclair, New Jersey to work at Schering-Plough Corporation of Bloomfield New Jersey (now Merck) where he was responsible for developing new products: Tinactin, Rifampcin, Gentamycin sulphate, Afrin, to name a few. In 1986, he became the International Affairs Manager of Schering-Plough where he served until his retirement in 1989. In 1990, he and his wife returned to Indiana and Bloomington. He was preceded in death by his wife, Jean (2004) and his daughter Ann (2011). He is survived by a son, James Redding, Jr. (Linda), of Nashville, Indiana, two granddaughters, Elizabeth Ann Eaton (Brian), of Brownsburg, Indiana, Lynda Catherine Hubbard (Brian), of Whiteland, Indiana, and four great grandchildren. Visitation will be 5pm to 7 pm Friday at Allen Funeral Home in Bloomington, Indiana with military rites conducted by the Veterans Honor Guard at 6:30pm. Inurnment will be in Bluffton Indiana at the Elm Grove Cemetery on Monday, June 10, 2013. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the American Cancer Society, the Burton Post 18 (Bloomington) of the American Legion, or the Bloomington YMCA.

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James Redding

December 18, 1922 - May 31, 2013