James "Jim" L. Bertram

Jim Bertram passed away Sunday, July 12, 2026, in Topeka, KS, at the age of 91. He was always early to everything, though it seems this was his one exception. He always said that if he ever came back, he’d want to be a dog. Given how much he loved his own dogs, we like to think he’s already working on it.

Born February 7, 1935, in Kansas City, MO, to William and Alberta (Sechler) Bertram, Jim graduated Central High School in 1953 and proudly served in the U.S. Army and Army Reserves during the Korean War, starting in 1957 and discharged honorably in March 1963. He then spent the rest of his career as a salesman, retiring at 70 but not because he grew tired of talking to new people. He loved the job because it meant he got to have new conversations with interesting people and sales lunches with his buddies.

Jim married Carol Ellis on June 16, 1956, in Kansas City, MO, having recently celebrated their 70th anniversary. They met working at the same company, and she became the first carpooler in his light pink Crown Victoria. He’d posted a notice at the office looking for riders to help cover gas, and she excitedly answered it. Though he was always five to ten minutes early for everything and she was always five to ten minutes late, this worked for seventy years. They became each other’s best friends and the loves of each other’s lives. Together they raised two daughters, Melinda and Nancy, who Jim was endlessly proud of.

At one point, they took moonlight sails on Lake Pomona weekly, danced Waltz and West Coast Swing at the Rendezvous club, and square-danced with the Swinging Squares. Eventually Jim built the dance floor himself, refinishing their basement with a fully stocked wet bar so friends and family always had a reason to come over and dance. Together they traveled across the country and abroad on multiple cruises, with their favorite being a three-week excursion through Italy with Jim's brother-in-law and nephew, full of good food, wine, and stories that outlasted the trip itself.

Jim liked to keep life interesting. He enjoyed driving little red sports cars, playing golf at the amateur level, learning stained glass at Washburn University, or making his own wine. He gardened enthusiastically and defended his fruits and vegetables from squirrels with a pellet gun he kept on hand for exactly that purpose. Jim built a screened-in back porch so he could keep an eye on the garden and stay free from the bugs. He loved picnics, swimming, and the outdoors. Some years, he and Carol took their daughters and grandchildren to the San Diego beaches to celebrate their wedding anniversaries with Spanish paella dinners and shrimp boils. Well into his 70s and 80s, Jim treated “age-appropriate behavior” as more of a suggestion, to the great dismay of his family. If he wasn’t up on the roof cleaning gutters, he was cleaning the neighborhood pool at Peppertree, or walking his dog Marcel around the neighborhood, stopping to talk to absolutely everyone along the way.

Jim took being the family patriarch seriously. He showed up for every graduation, holiday, and family event, whether it was in Topeka, Lawrence, or San Diego. He treated carving the Thanksgiving turkey and Christmas ham as an official ceremonial duty, complete with an assortment of fancy or occasionally ridiculous aprons, and he’d take extra time on something as small as the carrots in the relish tray if he knew it would make his grandchildren smile. He was also never shy about letting you know exactly what he thought was right. He had firm opinions on saving for retirement, never wearing a hat indoors or backwards, how long a man’s hair should be, and putting God and family first. He never missed a chance to remind his sons-in-law and grandchildren to take care of his daughters. When he visited his granddaughter at college, he’d take her out to eat and hand her a roll of quarters for the laundromat. When he babysat, she’d load him up in Carol’s costume jewelry and he’d wear it without complaint. He wore his distinctive bucket hats everywhere. He baked cookies with watermelon in them, dropped random facts into conversations whether they were relevant or not, and never left a room without telling someone they were handsome or beautiful. And he was always quick to remind you that he thought pretty highly of his own looks too.

Jim was a devoted Christian who put God first in his life, attending Grace Episcopal Cathedral every Sunday in a seemingly never-ending wardrobe of suits and ties. When he could no longer make it in person, he and Carol simply moved church online, then blocked off the rest of the day for each other and their family. In his younger years he attended Bible study, served as an usher, offering counter, lector, and chalice bearer, played in the hand bell ensemble, took part in the cathedral's Marriage Encounter retreats, and took communion to homebound members of the church.

Jim was the family prankster and could light up a room without trying. He told stories so convincingly that his family was never entirely sure what was true and what was a bit. He delighted in messing with phone scammers, and once told a lightbulb salesman he didn’t need any, on account of being blind. He thought the booby traps in Home Alone 2 were comedy at its finest. He loved biscuits and gravy and German chocolate cake, and he loved watching his family grow and gather around him.

He is survived by his wife, Carol Bertram; daughter Melinda (Bertram) Schneider and son-in-law Mike Schneider; daughter Nancy (Bertram) Suda and son-in-law Richard Suda; grandchildren Danielle (Schneider) King (m. Kyle King), Matt Schneider (m. Olivia (Logan) Schneider), Evan Suda (m. Keana (Moore) Suda), and Adam Suda; great-grandchildren Nathan and Natalie King, Avery Schneider, and Bernie Suda; and his faithful pup, Marcel.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his older sister, Bonnie (Bertram) Leone; his cousin, Les Simmons; and his dogs Jacques and Tammy.

Following Jim’s wishes, cremation is planned. A memorial service will be held on July 24 at 10:00AM at Grace Episcopal Cathedral in Topeka, KS with a reception to follow in the church hall. The service will be livestreamed, and can be viewed at https://gracecathedraltopeka.org/livestream/.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to Grace Episcopal Cathedral or Helping Hands Humane Society, Topeka, KS.

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