James Richard Schulte passed away at the age of 63 on March 16, 2017 in Binghamton, NY, after waging a valiant battle with cancer. Jim resided in Vestal, NY where he lived with his loving wife Rhonda for the past 9 1/2 years.
Jim was the youngest child of Albert and Erma Yob Schulte. He was born on March 20, 1953, in Raton, NM, where he grew up with his two brothers, Paul and Robert. He was a 1971 graduate of Raton High School. He attended the University of New Mexico., (UNM), and obtained his accounting degree. After college, Jim resided in Albuquerque and Santa Fe while working for the Public Service Company of New Mexico as a Rate Analyst. He taught computer related continuing education courses at UNM and coauthored a textbook dealing with spreadsheets and word processing and later started his own computer consulting business. He was sought out by headhunter groups and traveled to locations for longer term consulting on site. He did consulting work for large companies like Kaiser Permanente in Reading, PA and Ryder Truck in Miami, FL. Once, while on assignment working for a client in France, he traveled to Austria near Tyrol to discover areas where his grandparents Maria Bertol and Remigio Yob, originated.
Jim concluded his consulting in 1999, when he was hired by IBM to work in their Denver region. While in Denver Jim met Rhonda and they were married in 2001. Jim and Rhonda made their home in Lakewood, CO until moving to Vestal, NY in 2007, after Jim was hired by Raymond Corporation as a Project Manager in their information technology area.
He is survived by his dear wife Rhonda, his brothers Paul and wife Kathryn of Parker, Colorado and Robert and wife Georgia of Albuquerque, New Mexico as well as 12 nieces and nephews. In addition, he will be missed by classmates, co-workers and friends.
Jim had a great sense of humor and was loved by all. He made friends wherever he was. He especially loved to talk politics and he loved country western music (old style). If given a microphone, he would sing his favorite country songs anytime. His passions were wine, a good martini and a cigar, casinos, Denver Broncos and UNM Lobos. He was also a stamp collector at an early age. Jim had a special place in his heart for his love for fishing and hunting arrowheads with his dad, Albert, while growing up in Raton. He was a true lover of dogs, and his Denver Dude is missing him terribly.
Rhonda and Jim’s brothers plan interment of his remains and celebration of Jim’s life in Raton during Memorial Day Weekend on Saturday, May 27, with his mother, Erma’s services who passed away on January 4, 2017 at 97 years old.
We love and miss you Jim!
I cannot tell you enough how much we all loved him and will miss him. He was the kindesss, sweetest, funniest man I’ve ever know. So sorry for your loss as well as ours. Sincerely, Eileen O’Neill.