VENICE, FL
Dr. James (Jim) Alexander Miyat, DVM, of Venice, FL, passed away on June 5, 2024.
Jim was born in Madalia, MN, on December 9, 1928, to Rev.Alexander Lazar and Goldys Triplett Miyat.
In 1935, Jim’s dad moved the family to Greenwood, Indiana to lead the Presbyterian church there, and 13 years later, the family moved to Edinburgh, Indiana where his dad continued his ministry.
Jim graduated from Greenwood High School in 1946 followed by graduation from Franklin College in 1950 with a Bio-Chemistry major. He then joined the Naval Reserve prior to going full time in the Navy Aviation Cadet program in 1951. He began his flight training in Pensacola, Florida.
Prior to joining the Navy, Jim met Joan Wertz through the Presbyterian Church in Edinburgh and they were married November 2, 1952, two days after he had received his Navy wings. They set out for Corpus Christi, Texas for instrument training. Upon completion, he received his orders and they moved to Jacksonville, Florida for his assignment on the USS Wasp aircraft carrier. Jim flew the last generation of prop planes and the first generation of jets. During his 9-month cruise around the world, at one point they crossed the equator and Jim experienced the traditional initiation ceremony of “Crossing the line” and became a Shellback. The cruise took him to the North Atlantic for about a month, then on to the Mediterranean, through the Suez Canal to the Indian Ocean, to the Philippines on way to Korea. The ship spent time in the Japanese Sea and stood watch over Japan, mainly operating between Japan and Philippines. His cruise got extended one month, as one of the first to fly reconnaissance over a small place no one had heard of, Vietnam, to film the coastline from the air in April 1954 and then back to Japan. After returning home from his cruise he became an instrument instructor for the remainder of his time in Jacksonville.
When he completed his service in the Navy, Jim was accepted and enrolled at Michigan State University for Veterinary medicine. He graduated from MSU in 1960 and he and Joan along with their 3 kids moved back to Indiana and joined a private Veterinary practice in Kokomo. In 1961 he joined Eli Lilly (Elanco) in Veterinary Research, taking the family to Greenfield, Indiana. He spent most of his career in field research working with hogs, chickens, beef and dairy cattle at the Lilly research farm in Greenfield, as well as throughout the Midwest including Central and South America. In 1980 Jim was relocated to St. Louis. Jim retired from Elanco in 1992 after 31 years of service.
Jim was a preacher’s kid, so he was resourceful and imaginative. He was very handy and could fix almost anything. Jim designed and built most things he needed. He always had a passion for flying, technology and science and had varied interests including scuba diving, taking family movies, travel, but mostly focused his energy on home improvement projects, his wife Joan and their 4 children.
Surviving are his wife of 71 years, Joan Miyat of Venice, FL, and his 4 children, Cregg Dale, (Dana), Bloomington, IL, James Anthony (Beth), Lake St. Louis, MO, Portia Jill (Shawn) McClarnon, Chapel Hill, NC, and Amy Lynn (Tim) Rowland, Tuscaloosa, AL, and brother in law Seth Wertz, (Alan Corey) of Sarasota, FL.
Grandchildren are Cally Falcocchia, Rylan Miyat, Patrick Miyat, Tyler McClarnon, Alexander McClarnon, Peter McClarnon, Katelyn Rowland, Emily Rowland, and Devin Rowland. Great grandchildren are Emmy J Falcocchia, Erin Miyat, Elena and Caroline McClarnon, Lucy Rose McClarnon, and Connor James McClarnon.
Services and arrangements are pending. Memorial contributions may be made to Tidewell Hospice in Venice, FL.
