James Winston Wild

JAMES WINSTON WILD

May 11, 1941 – August 21, 2026

James W. Wild passed away at his Tucson home on August 21, 2026. Jim was one of 13 children born to Hon. Judge Clifford O. Wild, Sr. and Mary E. (Helvie) Wild at Logansport, Indiana. He was predeceased by siblings Mitzi J. (Wild) Clayton; Clifford O. Wild, Jr. (Susan); Robert K. Wild (Carole); Richard K. Wild (Karen); Edgar Q. Wild; Stanley J, Wild; and half-brother Jack D. Wild (Bettie). Jim is survived by siblings Ramona L. (Wild) Higel; John D. Wild (Barbara); Victor A. Wild (Caroline); Philip M. Wild; Barbara K. (Wild) Jaxel; and Debra J. (Wild) McAninch (Gary). He is also survived by 25 nieces and nephews and numerous grand-nieces and grand-nephews.

Jim grew up in Indiana and attended Logansport High School where he performed in band and played football for three years on the “Berries” perennial conference champion teams. When Judge Wild retired in 1958, the family moved to Tucson. Jim followed after he completed high school. He attended the University of Arizona then obtained his CPA. He worked in Phoenix as an auditor for a state agency for a time before returning to Tucson. The Hughes Aircraft Corporation employed Jim in the Cost Accounting Department where he was once named Employee of the Year. He worked for Hughes for more than 20 years before his retirement.

A central part of Jim’s life was his participation in the Masonic Fraternity where he was a lifelong member and achieved noted success. As a teenage boy, he joined DeMolay and sought membership in the Masonic Lodge at his first eligibility. He was inspired first by his father who was himself a 50-year Mason, and then by individual members of the Lodge. Over 70 years, Jim was a DeMolay and later a DeMolay Dad. He rose to be Master of Marion McDaniel Lodge 52 and active Knight Commander of the Court of Honor (KCCH) in the Tucson Scottish Rite. In 2022 he received the Lifetime Achievement award from the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Arizona.

Visitation will be held at the Scottish Rite Temple, located at 160 South Scott Avenue in Tucson, on Saturday August 29th from 9:00 – 10:00, followed by a beautiful Masonic Funeral Service, open to friends and family.

A brief graveside commemoration will be conducted at East Lawn Palms Cemetery (formerly Tucson Memorial Park), 5801 E. Grant Road.

Funeral amenities are being provided by Adair Funeral Homes (520-201-1131).

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Wings on Words Program at the Child Language Center, Inc. In the early 1950s in Colorado, the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States initiated a program to help children with speech and language disorders. The Child Language Center is a not-for-profit community outreach program that has provided early intervention services to children with speech/language disorders since 1989. Donations can be made by sending checks directly to the center at 202 E. Speedway Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85705 or by going to the official web site for Wings on Words Preschool - Child Language Center and selecting their donation option.