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James Willis Hands, age 90, of Santa Claus
James Willis Hands, age 90, of Santa Claus, passed away at 2:31p.m., on Thursday, March 13, at his
residence.
He was born May 6, 1934, in East Chicago, Indiana, to Ross and Ethel (White) Hands. James was a
member of Santa Claus Christian Church and the Santa Claus V.F.W. Post #242. He served his country in the
United States Army, serving with the 20 th Combat Engineer Division; in 2023, he was chosen to go to
Washington D.C. on the Honor Flight of Southern Indiana.
James enjoyed golfing, bowling, spending winters
in Florida, and being the Band Parent President and PTA President. His favorite place to visit was Gatlinburg,
Tennessee. James loved being a grandpa and cheering on the Heritage Hill Patriots and Chicago Bears.
He
was preceded in death by his parents; his 1 st wife, Adele Hands; one son, James Hands; two brothers, Oatis
and Ed Hands; and by two sisters, Shirley Lebryk and Martha Truman.
He is survived by his 2 nd wife, Patricia Ann Hands of Santa Claus; daughter, Linda Hands of South
Bend; son, Jeffrey (Angela) Hands of Evansville; daughter-in-law, Cathy Hands of Spartanburg, South
Carolina; and two granddaughters, Kayla and Katie Hands.
Funeral services for James Willis Hands will be held at 11:00 a.m., C.D.T., Tuesday, March 18, 2024, at
Santa Claus Christian Church. Burial will follow at Santa Claus Cemetery. Santa Claus V.F.W. Post #242 will
conduct military honors.
Visitation will be held from 5:00-8:00 p.m., C.S.T., on Monday, March 17 th , at Santa Claus Christian
Church; and also one hour prior to the service at the church. Rainey Funeral Home in Dale has been
entrusted with handling the arrangements. Memorial contributions may be made to Honor Flight of Southern
Indiana, PO Box 8234, Evansville, Indiana 47716.
Condolences may be shared online at:
www.raineyfuneralhome.com