Jim Stopulos

James C. Stopulos died peacefully, surrounded by family, on Friday, January 19, 2018 at Trinity, Bettendorf. He was 100 years old. Funeral services and a Mass of Christian Burial for James will be 10:00 a.m. Monday, January 22, 2018 at Sacred Heart Cathedral, 422 E. 10th Street, Davenport. Burial will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery. The family will greet friends Sunday from 2:00 to 4:00 pm in the LeClaire Gathering Space at Sacred Heart Cathedral. There will be an additional visitation at the Cathedral Monday from 9:00 a.m. until the Mass time.

Jim was born May 22, 1917 in Davenport, Iowa to Greek immigrants Gus and Helen Stopulos. He attended the Davenport public schools and graduated from St Ambrose College in 1940 with a degree in English. He worked for Petersen-Harned-Von Maur while waiting to be called into the Army Air Corps, eventually reporting for flight training in November of 1942 at Santa Ana Air Base in California. After further training at Oxnard, CA, Bakersfield, CA and at Marfa, Texas, he was commissioned as an Air Corps pilot on Oct 1, 1943. In Salt Lake City he was assigned a crew and then reported to Roswell Air Base, Roswell, New Mexico for B-17 flight training. Upon training completion he and his crew were sent to Kearney Air Base in Kearney, Nebraska and given orders to fly to Europe to join the 8th Air Force in England. At Kearney they were assigned a new B-17, briefed on what to expect in the European Theatre, packed their gear and took off on a great adventure. The trip from Kearney, Nebraska to Prestwick, Scotland was an adventure in itself - flying the Atlantic Ocean at night was a thrill. In England he reported to the 94th Bomb Group, Rougham Air Base, in Bury St. Edmonds, England. He flew 30 missions, most notable were the two missions flown on D-Day. He described his view from on high that day as the most awesome sight he had ever seen and it stayed with him a long time. Another mission of note was with a command officer to report on the effectiveness of our bombing at the breakthrough of St. Lo. He remained with the Air Force Reserves retiring as a Lt. Colonel in 1965.

He married his “wild Irish rose” and love of his life, Jeanne Sullivan, at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Davenport on December 29, 1945.

After the war he returned to Davenport and became the office manager for George A. Fuller Company, contractors for the ALCOA office building in Bettendorf and later the Bendix building in Davenport. In 195l he, along with his brother-in-law, entered show business by opening the first art theatre in the Quad Cities, the Coronet Theatre. He remained in the theatre business until 1977, during which time he built the Sierra Theatre in Moline, and the Spruce Hills Twin Theaters in Bettendorf, and also remodeled and operated the Studio Theatre in East Moline and the Central Theatre in Geneseo. In 1977 he started a new career as Realtor with Ruhl & Ruhl Commercial Company. He enjoyed both careers and was successful with both.

He belonged to the Davenport Rotary Club, National Association of Realtors, Davenport Quarterback Club, Emeritus Club of St Ambrose, The Outing Club, Davenport Country Club, National I-Club Board, Quad Cities Board of Realtors, and ICSC. He loved playing golf, Big Ten athletics – particularly Iowa football, attending games well into his nineties, – and doted on his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Project 15:12 or the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

He is survived by his wife Jeanne, and sons Patrick (Kathy), Davenport, Michael (Mary Fran), and Thomas (Cindy), all of Bettendorf; as well as thirteen grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren; and a son-in-law, Richard Lynn, Wichita, Kansas.

He was preceded in death by his daughter Kathleen Ann Lynn, and a sister Eva Kalikatsos.

Visitation

Sunday January 21, 2018 , 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM at Sacred Heart Cathedral

Additional Visitation

Monday January 22, 2018 , 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM at Sacred Heart Cathedral

Mass of Christian Burial

Monday January 22, 2018 , 10:00 AM at Sacred Heart Cathedral

Burial

Monday January 22, 2018 at Mt. Calvary Cemetery