Jim Severson, Sioux Falls, SD, died June 6, 2026, at Dougherty Hospice. He was 71.

Funeral Mass will be held at 10:00 am Friday, June 12, 2026, at Christ the King Catholic Church, 1501 W 26th St, Sioux Falls, SD. Interment with FOP and military rites will take place at St. Michael Cemetery following Mass. A visitation will be from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Thursday, also at Christ the King Church, with Rosary led by the Knights of Columbus following at 7:00 pm.

I, James (Jim) Keith Severson, was born on November 22, 1954, at McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD, and passed away after a 3-year battle with esophageal cancer on June 6th, 2026, at 71 years of age. I was the firstborn of 3 boys to Keith and Elvira (DeGiorgio) Severson. When I was less than a year old, we moved to my mom's hometown of Astoria, Queens, New York City. I grew up there until I was almost 10 years old. We lived in a one-bedroom apartment a block from Astoria Park, along the East River across from Manhattan Island. My brother Keith Jr. was born when we lived there. All four of us shared that one-bedroom apartment for several years. When I started school, I rode the New York City public bus to school all by myself and survived! I went to school at Immaculate Conception Catholic school in Astoria from kindergarten through the 4th grade, where I also made my First Holy Communion.

In the summer of 1964, our parents packed everything they owned in a small U-Haul trailer and hitched it up to dads' Oldsmobile and we moved back to Sioux Falls, where we moved into an apartment on the lower level of a house on North Main Ave. We had to share the bathroom with a very elderly lady who lived on the back side of the house. I attended St. Joseph Cathedral Catholic grade school that year for 5th grade and was also confirmed while there.

The summer of 1965, my mom and dad bought their first home and we moved. I changed schools again and began to attend the rest of grade school at St. Mary's Catholic school. When it was time for 8th-grade graduation, our Pastor sent a letter to my parents stating that I would not be allowed to graduate unless I shaved off my sideburns. I shaved.

That fall I began high school at O'Gorman. While there, I continued my love of sports. I played football, basketball and even tried wrestling…… once. But, my first love in sports was track; I was fortunate and excelled along with a few teammates who know who they are. If any of those teammates are reading this, thank you. I graduated from O'G in 1972 with athletic scholarship to USD. After one year I decided that college was for not for me and I enlisted in the United States Navy. After a year in southeast Asia, I finished out my time in the US. I was married in 1974 to Linda Benzor and we had five children. After ten years we went our separate ways. In 1990 my current partner in crime, Bonnie Winter, and I were married and remain so to this day. I have no idea how I would have endured my cancer journey without her, my Oncologist Dr. Ally Higgins, and my whole cancer care team at the Prairie Center.

I held various jobs after the US Navy, and finally in 1981, started a lifelong career in Corrections and Law Enforcement. Over the next 42 years I spent time working at the State Penitentiary, as an Agent with the SD DCI (Division of Criminal Investigation), part time work as a Deputy Sheriff and a stint as Interim Sheriff of Douglas County. I am very proud of those years. I also love hunting, fishing, and camping…. especially at Cutty's in Okoboji or with the Shade Hill Gang, who became very dear friends of mine. Love you guys!

Jim is survived by Bonnie, his wife of almost 36 years, and his 6 children, Joseph (Laura), Manila, Philippines, Shawna, Alicia, Tony (Tessie), Jesse (Laura) Severson, and Brooke Richards all of Sioux Falls; his brothers, Keith (Becky) Severson of Sioux Falls, Chris (Donna) Severson of Carbondale Co., and his aunt, Jessie DeGiorgio of Sioux Falls. He also leaves behind 17 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren. Jim was predeceased by his parents; granddaughter, Chelsea Huber; aunt, Catherine DeGiorgio; and his fishing partner/brother-in-law, Ron Winter.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made out to the CTK Knights of Columbus in Jim's honor.