James Francis "Jim" Heaton, 83, died Oct. 10 at Wichita Specialty Hospital, Wichita. He was born Dec. 12, 1926, at Great Bend, the son of Clarence F. and Pearl (Gill) Heaton.

James F. Heaton was a lifelong resident of Great Bend. He graduated from Great Bend High School in 1945 and from Kansas State University in 1949. While attending KSU, he met Jo Ann Jeffries, and they were married on May 21, 1950, at All Faiths Chapel, Kansas State University, Manhattan.

Mr. Heaton was news director for KVGB-AM, Great Bend, from 1949 to 1969, was director of public information and broadcasting instructor for Barton Community College from 1969 to 1970, and was vice president of marketing for Security State Bank from 1970 to 1989.

Dedicated to serving his community, Mr. Heaton was a member of First United Methodist Church, where he sang in the chancel choir from 1943 to 1999; Great Bend Rotary Club; and was a former member of the board of directors of the Kansas Association of School Boards, past chairman of the board of Great Bend Chamber of Commerce; past president of Unified School District 428 Board of Education; past president of Great Bend Recreation Commission and past president of the Great Bend Library Board. He was a former member of the boards of directors of the Barton County Community College Board of Trustees, Central Kansas Medical Center, and Golden Belt Home Health and Hospice. Mr. and Mrs. Heaton were recipients of the Distinguished Service Award at Barton Community College in 1995. They also served as "back-up grandparents" for Barton women’s basketball and volleyball players from 1982 to 1998.

A devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Mr. Heaton is survived by is wife Jo Ann Heaton; son David Heaton of Tampa, Fla.; daughter Jane Rees and husband Doug, Colorado Springs, Colo.; two grandchildren, Mindi (Rees) Salamon and husband Jon, and Evan Rees and wife Megan; and two great-grandchildren, Tatum Elizabeth Salamon and Brandon Salamon.

Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, at First United Methodist Church in Great Bend, with the Rev. Tom Sheldon officiating. Interment will be at Great Bend Cemetery. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Bryant Funeral Home, with family receiving friends from 6-8 p.m. Memorial donations are suggested to First United Methodist Church or Barton Community College Foundation, in care of the funeral home. Condolences may be sent and notice viewed at www.bryantfh.net.