James Arthur Wiggins

James "Jim" Wiggins was born in Brooklyn, New York, to a family with deep Minneapolis roots. Music and performance shaped his early years. By age nine he was singing professionally with the boys' choir at the Little Church Around the Corner in Manhattan and he later toured with the Bretton Woods Boys Choir. After the early deaths of his father and sister when he only 13 years old, Jim returned to Minneapolis with his mother and siblings, helping raise the family while working and attending school. Jim's outgoing spirit flourished at Marshall-University High School, where he emceed programs and built lifelong friendships. He was drafted into the U.S. Army shortly after meeting Bobbie Perry, the love of his life. Though trained as heavy infantry he spent most of his service as a cook and hospital assistant at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Jim and Bobbie married in 1953 and she joined him for his last year in Kentucky before moving back to spend the rest of their 59 devoted years together in Minnesota. They raised four children and built a life centered on service, generosity, and community. Jim worked several low paying jobs, cooking at a skid row restaurant and stock clerk for Lee Overalls before becoming the owner of the Pixie Diner in Richfield. He loved that work and it shaped his managing skills for the successful corporate career that followed as a purchasing manager and senior buyer for Leisure Dynamics, Lakeside Toys, Tonka Toys, and Rollerblade. Deeply committed to helping children, Jim and Bobbie adopted Margie from Korea, then Jason from Vietnam. They helped to found Partners Aiding Children Today (PACT) which brought Vietnamese children to the Minneapolis for heart surgery. Nga, a Vietnamese nurse with that program, was adopted as an adult. They fostered many other children and Jim served on the board of the Parent Association of Treatment Homes (PATH), an organization helping foster parents with challenging placements. Jim also volunteered hundreds of hours mentoring youth through the Homework and Hoops Program and received the Whittier Community Recognition Award in 2005. Athletic and energetic throughout his life, Jim played softball as a catcher, coached Little League and played tennis well into his late eighties. He traveled widely, both for work and later for pleasure. He loved to sing, dance, do crosswords, and entertain his growing family and many friends. His warmth, humor, and kindness was enjoyed by everyone he encountered. After Bobbie's passing in 2012, he shared many happy times with his partner from tennis, Dorothy Rossing until her death in 2024. Preceded in death by wife Bobbie, son Jason, and his siblings, Jim is survived by his children David, Brad, Margie Dreher, and Nga Edmonson, and their families. He will be remembered for his generosity, positive attitude, musical spirit, and unwavering belief in the potential of every child. www.Washburn-McReavy.com Nokomis Park 612-721-1651

Tributes

James Arthur Wiggins

October 19, 1932 - January 5, 2026

Tributes

James Arthur Wiggins

October 19, 1932 - January 5, 2026

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