Biography:
Chester James “Jim” Wierdsma died peacefully Thursday evening, March 3, in hospice care at Presbyterian Village after putting up a hard and long fight against Parkinson’s disease and cancer.
Jim was born Jan. 9, 1933, in Milwaukee, Wisc., the second child of Chester Francis Wierdsma and Laura Eleanor Filk Wierdsma. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin in 1955, Jim spent two years in the U.S. Navy, then began a career with Child-Rite Shoes. In the mid-1970s, Jim was transferred to Little Rock and was quick to tell anyone he did not miss the cold.
After settling in downtown Little Rock (in the Governor’s Mansion Historic District), Jim quickly became a volunteer extraordinaire. Among his favorite activities were tending the roses at Mount Holly Cemetery, where he served for years as a Master Gardener; serving on the Capitol Zoning Advisory Board; volunteering with the Downtown Neighborhood Association; and wielding the pen that wrote the checks as treasurer of the Quapaw Quarter Garden Club.
Jim was a man of so many interests — in addition to being an accomplished chef (a la Julia Child), he was also an expert with a sewing machine. He loved opera, the Arkansas Symphony, NPR, and KUAR/KABF. He loved old homes and historic preservation.
Jim also loved his time at Presbyterian Village and became a staff favorite in no time. His quick and somewhat devious wit won people over everywhere he went.
He was preceded in death by his companion of more than 40 years, Howard Davis; his older brother, John Wierdsma; and his nephew, Jonathan Wierdsma.
He is survived by his dearest friend of almost 50 years, Donna Barry; his niece, Mina Tenaglio and her husband, Andy, of the Milwaukee area; and his nephews, David Wierdsma of Fremont, Calif., and Tsu-Badi Wierdsma, also of the Milwaukee area. Jim is also survived by cousins back home and friends who loved him dearly in Arkansas.
Jim requested no service but did agree to let his friends hold a memorial gathering at the Garden Columbarium at Mount Holly, which will be sometime in May. If you wish to honor Jim in the meantime, memorials may be made to Mount Holly Cemetery, the Arkansas Symphony, or Presbyterian Village.