James “Jim” Sterling Konrady Jr. departed this life on February 16, 2026.

Born April 13, 1944, in West Palm Beach, Florida, Jim was the oldest of three boys born to Margit Inger Petersen and James Sterling Konrady Sr., both first-generation Americans. He was preceded in death by his younger brothers, (Dwight) Bruce Konrady in 2024 and Thomas Kenneth Konrady in 2017.

Jim is survived by his wife, Bonnie Konrady; his daughter, Gretchen Konrady, of Seattle, WA; his stepdaughter, Renee Lundsted and her husband Pat Lundsted, of Cape Coral, FL, and Tammy Farrow and her husband Wayne Farrow of Apopka, FL.

Jim is also survived by his four grandsons, Christian, Kyle, Hunter, and Matthew Lundsted. A devoted dog lover, he also leaves behind Patch the beagle.

Jim will be remembered for his humor, friendliness, positive attitude, mischief, curiosity and undaunted spirit.

He enjoyed an outdoorsy Florida native childhood filled with fishing, love of nature and weather, and even a red-tailed hawk he once kept as a pet. He liked to say he had a Florida suntan his whole life.

After graduating from Forest Hill High School in 1962, Jim briefly served in the Coast Guard, which included time in Puerto Rico. Honorably discharged due to color blindness, he joined the Air Force and was stationed at Barksdale AFB near Shreveport, Louisiana. He became a medic and studied pharmacy. He met and married his first wife, Meg, who also was in the Air Force, and in 1968, Jim became father to Gretchen.

Realizing a career as a pharmacist might be too dull, and given his military service, Jim used the G.I. Bill for flying lessons in the Shreveport area before moving back to south Florida. He became an ag pilot in Pahokee and Belle Glade after first racking up air-time hours “chasin' birds” off crops. He then spent nearly six decades crop dusting across the state, as well as in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, and Iowa. He worked under his beloved Florida farm bosses including Ellis Wilkinson, Grant Lust, and Billy Long.

During his career, he took care of carrots, watermelon, corn, soybeans, cotton, blueberries, squash and much more, using fertilizers and pesticides. He also sprayed fire-ant bait to help protect Florida’s ranch cattle. His career carried him through changing times, including the 1998 Lake Apopka farming shutdown, and he flew well into his 70s.

Jim flew Air Tractors, Grumman Ag Cats, Cessnas, and Pawnee Braves. He delighted in taking people up in small two-seater planes like the Piper Cub, swooping down fast and low as if spraying a field (whether his passenger wanted it or not!). He even earned a seaplane rating—simply because he wanted to. In Leesburg, he rebuilt aircraft engines for extra cash.

Jim had a ball in the ‘90s flying a wildlife biology team over Southern bald eagle habitats in Florida for an aerial survey so eggs could later be taken and sent to Oklahoma’s George Miksch Sutton Avian Research Center, part of a subspecies rehabilitation effort.

He earned his Coast Guard captain’s license and guided clients fishing on inland waters, especially the Withlacoochee River. Over his boating years, he owned everything from a glittery bass boat for tournament fishing to a pontoon boat for relaxed days with Bonnie, daughters, and friends. He also obtained a commercial driver’s license and drove a water tanker for wildfire operations near Boise, Idaho.

Through books, magazines and TV, Jim constantly grew his knowledge of ships and boats, aircraft and vintage automobiles. He was also a fan of the VA, History Channel, Audubon Society, Elks and GOP.

Jim and Bonnie made homes in Apopka, Tavares, Homosassa, Citrus Springs near Dunnellon, and Woodbine, Georgia.

He long hoped to see the Grand Canyon. Those who are believers can easily imagine he now enjoys the Grand Canyon from his favorite vantage point—the bird’s-eye view.

Donations may be made to the American Cancer Society and/or the Audubon Society in Jim’s memory.

THERE WILL NOT BE A CELEBRATION OF LIFE IN MAY AS PREVIOUSLY PLANNED.

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