James R. McCord, 70, of Sioux Falls, SD passed to his heavenly home on Tuesday, November 9, 2021 at Sanford/USD Medical Center following injuries sustained while rescuing his daughter and grandson.

Visitation with the family present to greet friends will be from 2:00 – 4:00 pm Saturday, November 13, at Miller Funeral Home-Downtown, 507 S. Main Ave., Sioux Falls, SD.

James was born September 10, 1951 to Victor and Barbara (Furubotten) McCord.  He grew up in Sioux Falls, Ellis, Montrose SD and spent some time in Montana.  Jim was a corpsman in the US Navy, which allowed him to travel the globe.

James married Diana Havel and union blessed him with Julie, Trisha, Jami and Niki.  Those children gave him 22 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.  In 1982 he married Minnie Bell and that union blessed him with Jessica Mae and Anna Elizabeth McCord.  From Anna, James was proud to claim Brittany and Elizabeth Mauch, Gavin Lorang and Elwood Dwyer III.  Jessica blessed "Papa" with 1 grandson, Daniel John McCord.

James helped raise his grandchildren that lived in the Sioux Falls area.  The joy of his life was Gavin Lorang who lived with his grandpa several years in his youth.  His nephew, Tony McCord, was also very special to him.  All his grandchildren learned silly songs and bad jokes from grandpa. Google taught him everything he questioned.

He will be dearly missed by his brother John, his children and grandchildren; close friends Tony Hirshfield and Minnie Bell.  He is proceeded in death by his mother, father, Diana and infant brother Patrick.