Obituary for James Francis "Jim" Rudolph
James Francis Rudolph December 25, 1940-April 4, 2021
James “Jim” Francis Rudolph was born on Christmas Day, 1940, the second of 14 children, in a farmhouse near Little Falls, MN. He passed away peacefully on Easter morning, April 4, 2021, at the age of 80, with a smile on his face. Jim is survived by the love of his life and wife of 58 years, Patricia [Anderson] Rudolph, four daughters and three son-in-laws; Christine Walsh (Thomas), Jean Hoppe (Bruce), Karen McCann (Charlie), and Teresa Rudolph (boyfriend Philip Sellner). He loved his grandchildren, Thomas (Taylor), Nicholas, Lauren, Anna, William, James, Morgan and George, and looked forward to the birth of his great-grandchild due this May. Jim is survived by six brothers: Roger, Bill, Carl (Terri), Mike (Lois), Nolan and Stanley (Vicki), and six sisters: JoAnne, Bernadette (Ross), Evelyn (Donn), Roberta, Rosie (Rick) and Grace (Mike), in addition to many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by parents Frank and Luella, and his beloved sister Marie.
Jim spent his youth on a farm near Bowlus, MN. He found himself in a position of considerable responsibility, helping watch over his younger siblings. When he was twelve years old, his family moved to Minneapolis. He graduated from Central High school in Minneapolis in 1958 and attended the college of St. Thomas, where he studied history. Jim met Pat through St. Stephens in Minneapolis and they married in 1962 and had 4 daughters. They complimented each other through faith and family. Jim's lifetime friends were Tom Barthel, who preceded him in death and Ron Johnson, who was always a faithful friend. Jim loved spending time with his 8 grandchildren, watching classic cartoons and playing in “the little village” he built in his back yard. Jim was a devout Catholic and volunteered at Southside Life Care Center, where he helped rebuild cribs for families in need.
Jim was a lifelong student, with a particular love of history. He pursued this passion through travel and stamp collecting, which he described as a “window to the world.” He was particularly enamored by his ancestry, and spent considerable time researching his genealogy, and the history of Poland. He loved meeting people from other cultures, and enjoyed learning new languages, including German, Spanish, Portuguese, and Polish. He was fascinated with his Polish legacy, and wrote a book on the history of Poland, “The Long Lost Province, Polish Silesia, A Brief Historical Excursion.”
Jim battled/ lived with Multiple Myeloma for 5 ½ years prior to his death. During this time, Jim crossed many items off his bucket list, including traveling with his family to Austria, the Dominican Republic and Missouri.
Jim’s family is deeply grateful to his care teams, including those at Park Nicollet (Dylan Zylla, MD, and Dr. Greg Lehman, MD); Hennepin County Medical Center, Catholic Eldercare, Mount Olivet TCU, and Our Lady of Peace Home Hospice.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to: The Lymphoma and Leukemia Society, The Thomas More Society, and Our Lady of Peace Hospice.
James “Jim” Francis Rudolph was born on Christmas Day, 1940, the second of 14 children, in a farmhouse near Little Falls, MN. He passed away peacefully on Easter morning, April 4, 2021, at the age of 80, with a smile on his face. Jim is survived by the love of his life and wife of 58 years, Patricia [Anderson] Rudolph, four daughters and three son-in-laws; Christine Walsh (Thomas), Jean Hoppe (Bruce), Karen McCann (Charlie), and Teresa Rudolph (boyfriend Philip Sellner). He loved his grandchildren, Thomas (Taylor), Nicholas, Lauren, Anna, William, James, Morgan and George, and looked forward to the birth of his great-grandchild due this May. Jim is survived by six brothers: Roger, Bill, Carl (Terri), Mike (Lois), Nolan and Stanley (Vicki), and six sisters: JoAnne, Bernadette (Ross), Evelyn (Donn), Roberta, Rosie (Rick) and Grace (Mike), in addition to many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by parents Frank and Luella, and his beloved sister Marie.
Jim spent his youth on a farm near Bowlus, MN. He found himself in a position of considerable responsibility, helping watch over his younger siblings. When he was twelve years old, his family moved to Minneapolis. He graduated from Central High school in Minneapolis in 1958 and attended the college of St. Thomas, where he studied history. Jim met Pat through St. Stephens in Minneapolis and they married in 1962 and had 4 daughters. They complimented each other through faith and family. Jim's lifetime friends were Tom Barthel, who preceded him in death and Ron Johnson, who was always a faithful friend. Jim loved spending time with his 8 grandchildren, watching classic cartoons and playing in “the little village” he built in his back yard. Jim was a devout Catholic and volunteered at Southside Life Care Center, where he helped rebuild cribs for families in need.
Jim was a lifelong student, with a particular love of history. He pursued this passion through travel and stamp collecting, which he described as a “window to the world.” He was particularly enamored by his ancestry, and spent considerable time researching his genealogy, and the history of Poland. He loved meeting people from other cultures, and enjoyed learning new languages, including German, Spanish, Portuguese, and Polish. He was fascinated with his Polish legacy, and wrote a book on the history of Poland, “The Long Lost Province, Polish Silesia, A Brief Historical Excursion.”
Jim battled/ lived with Multiple Myeloma for 5 ½ years prior to his death. During this time, Jim crossed many items off his bucket list, including traveling with his family to Austria, the Dominican Republic and Missouri.
Jim’s family is deeply grateful to his care teams, including those at Park Nicollet (Dylan Zylla, MD, and Dr. Greg Lehman, MD); Hennepin County Medical Center, Catholic Eldercare, Mount Olivet TCU, and Our Lady of Peace Home Hospice.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to: The Lymphoma and Leukemia Society, The Thomas More Society, and Our Lady of Peace Hospice.