James Bush

Funeral services for James R. Bush, 45, Lawrence, KS, will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, October 9, 2010 at the Lawrence Free Methodist Church.  Burial will follow in the Oak Hill Cemetery.  He died on Saturday, October 2, 2010 at Shawnee Mission Medical Center after a sudden heart attack while umpiring baseball in Johnson County.

He was born on August 21, 1965 in Somerville, New Jersey, the son of Daniel and Dixie Norma Langston Bush. He moved to Lawrence with his wife and children in December 2002.

Mr. Bush was working in sales and marketing for Maceli’s in Lawrence.  He was the former senior pastor at the First Southern Baptist Church in Lawrence from 2003 – 2007.  He has since then served as an interim pastor at the First Baptist Church in Bellevue, NE.  Earlier in his career, he served the First Baptist Church in Pinckneyville, IL, the First Baptist Church in Union City, TN, The Cheat Lake Baptist Church in Morgantown, WV and the First Baptist Church in Ft. Myers, FL.

He held academic degrees from University of South Carolina, B.A. in Political Science 1987, and Master’s of Divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY in 1992.  He had begun doctoral studies at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City in 2006.

Mr. Bush was a member of the First Southern Baptist in Lawrence, Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, the Lawrence Rotary Club and was the former president of the Lawrence Central Rotary Club.  He was a former candidate for the Lawrence City Commission.  He was a certified coach, had worked as a volunteer for the Salvation Army bell ringing, and as a volunteer for the United Way Day of Caring.  He was also a co-founder of Passport, Inc a camping experience for youth.  He officiated at area youth football, basketball and baseball games.

He was married to Sandra “Sandy” Knight on August 22, 1992 in Florence AL.  She survives of the home. Other survivors include a daughter, Mary Esther Bush, of the home, two sons, James Bush, Jr., and Langston Bush, both of the home.  He is also survived by a brother, Dan Bush, of Boston, MA and a sister, Sharon Bush, of Englewood, New Jersey, many nieces, nephews and cousins.

The family will greet friends from 6-7:30 p.m. Friday at Warren-McElwain Mortuary in Lawrence.

The family suggests memorials in his name to the Educational Fund for the Children of James & Sandy Bush and may be sent in care of the mortuary.