James Glidden

James (Jim) Arthur Glidden, 80 of Traverse City, died Wednesday, November 6th, 2024 of health complications. He was born at home in Gaylord, Michigan the son of Arthur Ward and Lorna (Foster) Glidden. His family moved to Traverse City when he was a toddler.

He graduated from Traverse City Central High School in 1962 and attended Northwestern Michigan College, and Ferris State University, studying Electrical Engineering.

Due to the increased American presence in the Vietnam War, Jim enlisted in the United States Air Force after college. In 1967 he was deployed to the war and was stationed at Phù Cát Airbase, where he worked as a mechanic on many different types of military equipment. Due to Jim qualifying as an expert marksman while in Basic Training, he was also frequently sent outside the perimeter to patrol at night as a “Security Force Augmentee.” Jim left the Air Force as a Sergeant E-5 in 1969.

He would meet the love of this life, Connie Marie Christensen, at the young age of 17 and they were happily married after he returned from the war in 1968. This past July they celebrated their 56th Wedding Anniversary! They were members of the First Congregational Church and together raised two beautiful children Laura Alta (Laurie) Fischer and Nathaniel James (Nate) Glidden. The family enjoyed many years camping, downhill skiing, spending time around the patio BBQ, and of course, remodeling homes together.

Jim was an Engineer with Banner Engineering in Saginaw, MI, for over 20 years, and with Chef Pierre (now Sara Lee) in Traverse City for many years as well. While at Chef Pierre he was the Project Engineer during the creation of the “World’s Largest Cherry Pie,” designing the pan and the oven it was baked in. The pie was almost 18 feet wide, weighed 28,000 pounds, and served approximately 180,000 people at the Open Space during Cherry Festival in 1987.

He was a member of the Traverse Bay British Car Club, and was proud of the 1952 MGTD Convertible that he completely restored. Jim was always a loyal fan of Michigan State University Football, despite being the underdog on occasion. He earned many awards while competing in his Lightning Class sailboat during local regattas on West Bay. He was an avid reader and enjoyed learning about the history of WWII and the American Civil War. He also enjoyed visiting with his friends and neighbors while walking his beloved dog, Sandy.

Jim is survived by his wife, Connie Marie (Christensen) Glidden; daughter Laurie Fischer; son Nate Glidden (Holly) and grandchildren; Paige Marie Fischer, Jack Steven Fischer, David Nathaniel Fischer, Gabriel James Glidden, and Lilian Marie Glidden, and his sister, Marylynn Messner.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Arthur and Lorna Glidden; siblings, Frank Barry Glidden (Karen), Jane Ann Berquist (George) and brother-in-law John Messner.

Donations can be made to the Cherryland Humane Society. A Celebration of Life will take place in the future with details to follow.

Please visit www.lifestorytc.com to share your thoughts and more.