Elmer James “Jim” Wurst died peacefully August 6, 2017 at the Tidewell Hospice House in Palmetto, Florida, surrounded by those he laughed with, lived for and loved greatly. He was 80.
Born December 12, 1936 in Defiance, Ohio, the second son of Elizabeth and Dr. Elmer Wurst, Jim graduated in 1954 from Defiance High School and Defiance College in 1959 with a B.S. in Education. In 1968, he received a master’s degree from University of St. Francis in Fort Wayne, Ind.  Jim taught math for 30 years at Defiance High School, retiring in 1992.  
He married the former Barbara Ann Walz in 1961, a joyful union that spanned 56 years.  The couple had four children - Michael, Jenni, Joe, and Martine.
Jim was an avid golfer, and during his lifetime, he scored three holes in one, all at the Terra Ceia Bay Golf Course in Palmetto. He also enjoyed dancing, gardening, music, the Cleveland Indians, and Ohio State University football.
His gentle sense of humor, genuine interest in the lives of others, and his devotion to the care of his family, in particular to his mother and brother in their later years, were some of the qualities that endeared him to many.
Jim and Barb enjoyed traveling both throughout the United States and internationally during their decades-long union. The couple rarely missed their yearly sojourn to the far-flung locales of their children and grandchildren, with stops in Brentwood, Tenn., Danville, Ind., Littleton, Co. and Charlotte, NC.
Jim was preceded in death by his mother, Elizabeth Beard Wurst; his father, Dr. Elmer Charles Wurst; and his brother, John Charles Wurst.  He is survived by his wife, Barbara; sister, Mary Jo Carpenter (John); his children, Michael (Cherie); Jenni (Jim); Joe (Alice); and Martine (Sharon); and his grandchildren, Madeline Wurst, Grace Wurst, Ellie Wurst, Nick Hufford, Hannah Hufford, Max Wurst, and Zoe Wurst. 
The family will receive guests on Friday, August 25 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Schaffer Funeral Home, 529 Jefferson Avenue in Defiance. A funeral mass officiated by Rev. John Stites will be held August 26 at 11 a.m. at St. Mary Catholic Church, 715 Jefferson Avenue, in Defiance, with burial services immediately after at Riverside Cemetery, 1417 S. Clinton Street in Defiance.
Donations in Jim’s name may be made to the Tidewell Hospice House, 4151 37th St. E., Palmetto, FL, 34221, or by visiting www.tidewellhospice.org.
Online condolences can be given at www.Schafferfh.com.