James "Jim" Donald Coughlin was reunited with his wife in death in the early hours of January 1, 2010. Jim was born June 23, 1923, in Melrose, Iowa. He married Alice (Beck) Coughlin on October 14, 1948, and to this union eight children were born. The family lived in Iowa until the early 1970's and then moved to Houston, Texas. Jim and Alice retired in Springfield in 1990. Family was very important to Jim and he will be greatly missed by his children, Karen (Coughlin) and Don Homerding, Kathleen (Coughlin) and Dennis Clancy, Jim and Jaime Coughlin, Dottie (Coughlin) Roush, Patricia (Coughlin) and John Hall, Jeff and Lisa Coughlin, and Dan and Jessica Coughlin. He has a very large and close extended family who will always remember his humor and love of a good time, including his good friend, brother and sister-in-law, Ray and Mary Meredith. A special place in the hearts of his 22 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren will be held for "Grandpa Jim." Jim was preceded in death by his wife in 2006, and one daughter, Jody Ann (Coughlin) Riddle in 2008. Jim left college in 1943 to join the Navy. He served as Naval Aviator in World War II. He had several careers during his lifetime, serving as an insurance agent for many years in Iowa and later as a construction worker in Houston, Texas. The family will receive friends on Tuesday, January 5 from 6 to 7 p.m. in Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home, 1947 E. Seminole, Springfield, Mo. A funeral mass will be held on January 6 in Holy Trinity Catholic Church, E. Bennett, Springfield, Mo., at 11 a.m., with burial following in Resurrection Cemetery. Online condolences can be shared at www.gormanscharpf.com