Merle "Jim"

J. Hickey

Manistique, MI — Merle "Jim" James Hickey, 84, of Manistique, MI, died Thursday, June 22, 2023 with his family by his side.

Visitation will be held from 10-11 a.m. Friday, July 7, 2023 at the Garden Christian Fellowship Church in Garden, MI.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, July 7, 2023 at the church in Garden, MI.

A military service will be held on Monday, July 10, 2023 at Lakeview Cemetery in Manistique, MI.

Memorials may be made to the family for future designation.

Fausett Funeral Home in Manistique, MI is in charge of the arrangements.

Born to Merle and Edna Hickey on Feb. 3, 1939, in O'Neill. Jim graduated from St. Mary's High School in 1957. 

While attending school, he met and married Cheryl Morris. Together they raised four children. 

Jim joined the U.S. Air Force in December l958 and was stationed in Greenland for most of his duty, where he trained as an air traffic controller.  

In 1961, Jim began his career with the FAA at the Marquette County Airport in Marquette, MI.  

As a father of four and working full-time, Jim furthered his education by enrolling at Northern Michigan University with dual majors in history and philosophy. In under four years, he received his bachelor of arts degree in 1976 while graduating at the top of his class with a GPA of 4.0.    

In 1977, Jim married Marilyn Swanson. Together they moved to Oklahoma City, OK, where Jim worked as an instructor at the FAA Aeronautical Center. His job took him many places, including Terre Haute, IN, Green Bay, WI, and Marquette, MI (twice). He retired in 1994 after a 33-year career with the FAA and resided in Manistique, MI at the time of his passing.  

Jim embraced his heritage and occasionally enjoyed traveling to Ireland with his daughters. His passion and love of learning new things opened another world to him. He became a self-taught, avid woodworker, making furniture, cabinets, bookcases, toy boxes, cedar chests, clocks and numerous woodworking gifts for family and friends. He became a Master Gardener and a member of the Garden Club.  Jim became somewhat of a mushroom expert who taught a class on the subject at one of the local universities in Wisconsin. Jim took up golfing and immensely enjoyed the game especially when his family could hit the links with him. He also enjoyed cross-country skiing, sailing, mushroom hunting and fishing with his sons and grandchildren. He always said that one of his summer highlights were the weeks he spent fishing salmon with his sons at Fairport, MI. 

Jim was a member of the Garden Christian Fellowship Church in Garden, MI. He valued and treasured spending time with his Christian family. He also had numerous close friends in the Garden area and enjoyed many intellectual discussions concerning history and world events with them.

Jim is survived by his wife Marilyn; four children Julie Buck, of Negaunee, MI, Michael (Carol) Hickey of Clinton, IN, Thomas (Kelly) Hickey of Flat Rock, MI and Robin (Rick) Pearson of Hartington; one brother Jerry (Dee) Hickey of Omaha; eight grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his four sisters Mary Ann Frowick, Susan Dewild, his twin sister Jean Bilder and Marilyn Hickey, who died in childhood.