James William Leflar Jr.

James William Leflar, Jr., died on October 10, 2025, at Victory Ridge, the Hospice facility at the VA Medical Center in Dayton, OH. He was comforted by his three sons and his friend and caregiver Pam Amlin. He passed peacefully in his sleep at 5:11 am, ending a years-long battle with cancer. 

Jim was born in Kansas City, MO, on December 14, 1946, to James W. Leflar and America Yvonne Wood Leflar. The oldest of four children, he had a rowdy upbringing in rural Northwest Arkansas, where his mother worked at a bank and his father was the Chief of Police in Siloam Springs, AR. He briefly attended the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, before enlisting in the United States Marine Corps in 1966. He completed Officer’s Candidate School in Quantico, VA, where he met Susan Morris, whom he married on June 15, 1968. They were stationed at Navy and Marine bases throughout the southeastern United States before he was posted to MCAS, Iwakuni, Japan. He was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps with the rank of Captain after five years of service. 

They eventually settled in Clarksville, AR, where he worked as a general contractor and built several fine homes. During this time, Jim and Susan grew their family with three sons. Jim completed his BS at Arkansas Tech University in 1987. The family then moved to the Chicago area that year. Following his divorce from Susan, Jim returned to Arkansas. He built his career as a computer programmer at Acxiom LLC in Conway, AR. 

During his sons’ teenage years and beyond, Jim relished exploring the outdoors and engaging with them in philosophical discussions. He enjoyed traveling and also lived in Yelm, WA, and Surprise, AZ, before returning to Siloam Springs for a brief retirement career as a long-haul truck driver. In 2016, he relocated to Dayton, OH, in order to be centrally located to his three sons. Throughout the 2010s and into the 2020s, Jim and his sons and their families routinely planned adventures where they would reunite to immerse themselves in nature and continue their conversations on metaphysics and spirituality. 

In Dayton, Jim discovered a passion for pickleball and the amazing community built around it. He was known as a fast, fierce, and fun competitor, and he savored the fellowship of the players on and off the court. He met Pam Amlin through pickleball and they became dear friends, taking dance lessons and enjoying together the many hiking trails in the area. Her background as a retired nurse proved to be an unexpected blessing when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2022. She provided essential care for him throughout his treatment and into his final moments before passing. The generous support of Hospice of Dayton, Village Caregiving, and especially the teams at Kettering Health System and the VA of Dayton were essential to his comfort during his final years. 

Jim is survived by his three sons, their wives, and three grandchildren: Elliot and Laura Leflar of Charlottesville, VA; Jim, Carrie, Ellie (14), and Ivy (12) Leflar of La Grange, IL; and, David Leflar, Meg Brooks, and Zora Leflar (1) of Atlanta, GA. He is also survived by his three sisters: Linda Bigham (Jay) of Evansville, IN; Jean Schoonmaker (Phil) of Choteau, OK; and, Sheree Wallace (Ronald) of Siloam Springs, AR, as well as several nieces and nephews. 

A celebration of life will be held at the Courtyard by Marriott Dayton North, 7087 Miller Lane, from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm on Saturday, October 25. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Jim's memory to the Dayton VA Medical Center's General Post Fund. More information can be found on their website. Finally, Jim received several transfusions during his treatment, and his family urges those who are able to donate blood with the American Red Cross.

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