Jim's obituary
Sept. 24, 1934 - Dec. 5, 2024
James (Jim) Thurman Vigus, 90 years old, succumbed to his battle with cancer, and passed away peacefully on Dec. 5, 2024. Jim was born in McPherson, Kansas in 1934. He was one of six children to Opal and Roy Lee Vigus. After graduating high school, Jim served in the U.S. Navy before settling in San Diego, California, in 1958. It was there that he started his very successful career in construction. He worked masonry, working as a project manager, on what was then called Jack Murphy Stadium. In 1960, he met and later married the love of his life Frances Grace Dievendorf. Together they moved to northern California; first living in Santa Clara, then Pleasanton, and finally Livermore. Jim continued his career in the construction industry, building large projects such as the Administration and Library building at Cal State Hayward, and traveling across the U.S. and Europe to oversee projects. In 1992, Jim started his own construction company, V and M Construction. He retired in 1997, leaving the day-to-day operations of the company to his son Bill Vigus and longtime friend Larry Cook.
Jim Vigus was dedicated to his faith. He served in the Knights of Columbus for many years, was a eucharistic minister, and a grief counselor for his church community. He was a beacon of strength, a man of integrity, and well respected by all who met and had interactions with him. Jim leaves his wife of 63 years, Frances; his children William Roy Vigus, his wife Stacy and their children, daughters Toni Perry, Mari Jane Vigus, and son James Vigus, daughter Jamie Dufresne, her husband Cliff and their daughters Kasey Long and Morgan Toft, and Lorie Rittmann, her husband Evan and their children, daughters Alyssa Rittmann, Katelyn Suggs, and son Zachary Rittmann. Jim also experienced the joy of six great grandchildren; Kamden, Kendall and Karter Long, Harrison and Harlynn Suggs, and Makenna Toft.
Services for Jim Vigus will be held at St. Augustine’s Church in Pleasanton. A vigil on Tuesday evening, Feb. 4, from 5 – 6:30 p.m. Funeral Mass on Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 10 a.m.
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