Magna, Utah
James “Jim” Stephen Lougy passed away April 2, 2020, at the age of 70. He was born March 23, 1950, in Tooele, Utah, to Hap and Charlene Sellman Lougy, the eldest of five children. He inherited from his dad a love of the land and an inquisitive mind, and from his mom a wicked sense of humor and affinity for practical jokes. He spoke lovingly of his youth growing up in Tooele, and of the lifelong friendships formed during those years. Like a combination of Dennis the Menace and the Great Brain, his many harebrained schemes and exploits often landed him, his little brother, and their group of friends in heaps of trouble, but left them with an abundance of darn good stories to tell.
Jim joined the Air Force in 1969 and was one of the first graduates of the new computer key punch system, and later cross-trained into computer programming. He married his high school sweetheart Jody in 1970 and together they began their life at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho. In 1973, during the Vietnam War, Jim was sent overseas to Thailand where he helped facilitate the return home of service men and women after the war ended. He liked to recount fondly of returning a year later to see his son Steve, then 3, run excitedly between the legs of people in the crowded airport yelling, “My daddy! My daddy!” Daughter Jamie, only 4 months old when he left, was decidedly cooler in her welcome, but they quickly made up for lost time. The day the family moved to Hill AFB, Utah, in 1977, son Scott decided to make his appearance. Soon after, Jim was stationed at Randolph AFB in San Antonio, Texas. Although it was hard being away from relatives in Utah, the family enjoyed this time in Texas immensely and made many long-lasting memories, from chili cook-offs to rafting down the Guadalupe River to dancing the Cotton Eye Joe. Two years later Jim was honorably discharged from the Air Force having made the rank of E7, which was quite an achievement to have received this rank in under 10 years. After discharge, Jim continued to work hard for his family, attending night school at Trade Tech (now Salt Lake Community College) and earning his Associates Degree in Computer Science. Jim worked as a computer programmer at Utah Power & Light/PacifiCorp and Discover Card Services until a major stroke in 2014 forced him to take an early retirement.
Jim was an avid rock collector and lover of geology. He was thrilled he got to experience a “big one” as he called the recent 5.7 Magna earthquake. A voracious reader and teacher at heart, he was well known for handing off books and magazine articles saying, “Here, read this. There’ll be a quiz afterward.” Jim’s love of music was infectious; he played in a rock band in high school, performed sing-a-longs with his family, taught his grandchildren to play guitar, and always had a song in his heart and a tune to share. He had a passion for photography, and left behind a treasure trove of photos capturing family trips, soccer games, babies, family reunions, holidays, and other precious moments. He was never happier than when he was with his family, especially his grandchildren, taking them on adventures to national parks, caves, or even just to the Halloween store to pick out a new decoration for his scary tableau. He was a beloved husband, father, son, brother, uncle, coworker, neighbor, and friend, forging deep and meaningful connections with people through his kindness and ability to strike up a conversation on just about any subject. Above all, he was unfailingly selfless in his generosity and willingness to help others. He will be remembered for his twinkling blue eyes, mischievous smile, signature wit, storytelling prowess, sense of humor, and for picking out just the right nickname to make you feel special. To his grandkids, he will always be Bumpa, the smartest man in the world.
He was preceded in death by his dad Hap, his brother Donny, and his in-laws Vermont and Joy Thompson. He is survived by his loving wife Jody; his sons Steve and Scott; his daughter Jamie (Rob) Covington; mother Charlene; brother Monty; sisters Cindy Perry and Leisa (Mark) Bankhead; grandchildren Jeffrey, Jordan, Jaidyn, Kaitlyn; and numerous nephews and nieces. He is already being missed by his new furgrandbaby, Arya.
Due to the pandemic restrictions, no funeral services will be held at this time. A celebration of life will be held at a later date, to be announced. For more information go to tatemortuary.com.