Melissa "Lissa" James

Melissa (Lissa) Ann James (b. May 1, 1970) passed away peacefully at home among her family and friends on September 15, 2025. Lissa died as she lived, full of faith, love, stubborn determination, and endless energy.

A lifelong and dedicated Catholic, Lissa graduated from Hackett Catholic Central High School in 1988 and was a prominent parishioner in St. Margaret Catholic Church, Otsego, where she regularly participated as a reader. She was a regular presence at the church and school, a long-time member of and president of the school board, and a leader and organizer of the St. Margaret Halloween Carnival.

Lissa and her husband Jeff supported and loved each other through thirty years of challenges, tragedies, and triumphs. Not that they didn’t argue once in a while (they did), but their marriage was full of passion and joy and adventure. They built a life and a family together, and their home was a place of joy and the site of many family and community gatherings.

She was a fiercely dedicated Mom to her five sons: Nicholas, Benjamin, Matthew, Christopher (CJ), and Gabriel. With a combination of tears, laughter, prayers, and a few whacks to the head, she successfully guided them all into adulthood, molding them into the talented and passionate young men they’ve become. Lissa sat through hundreds of Otsego sporting events, chatting with friends and leading cheers, and occasionally even stopping to watch the game.

She was further blessed with the arrival of her first grandson, Vincent, Nicholas’s son. Vinny was her light and joy; she loved and spoiled him at every possible moment. Her boys enjoyed noting the vast difference between the softy “Grandma Lissa” persona Vinny met and the strict Mom they knew all their lives.

Although most of her adult life was dedicated to her family, once her boys grew to near-adulthood, she also spent several years as an Otsego Public Schools bus driver, driving a route through Eley Acres and the west side of town. She drove the #7 “horse” bus, and famously and ostentatiously decorated it with bling and knick-knacks: cats, banners, toy cars, Hello Kitty items, and so much more. Lissa loved her students as much as they loved her. She would sing, play games, and chat with them. She would always wait until each ran or walked from the bus to their front door.

Lissa was a dedicated cat-lover; her spoiled cats Abbey and GG often roamed the James house while she was keeping up with her favorite show, The Young and the Restless, something that she would never miss. No one knew the ins and outs of Genoa City and the travails and multiple romances of Victor Newman better than Lissa James.

Lissa built a huge network of close friends in Otsego and beyond. She was full of fire and vinegar, at once both rowdy and passionate and deeply dedicated to her faith and her family and friends. She was simultaneously the life of the party and the paragon of the church. She loved a good pedicure as much as she enjoyed a great sermon. She sometimes had a sailor’s vocabulary, but was always ready to make amends at confession soon afterwards. Despite her illness, she remained active and positive. She traveled to New Orleans for Mardi Gras in March and, less than three weeks before her passing, went with her best friends to a Billy Idol concert (where, by all accounts, she still rocked the night away). She kept her treasured Rosary with her at all times, praying to Mary, with whom she had a special relationship.

Lissa James lived boldly and with style and grace. Her presence made the world brighter and more vibrant. She will be missed by all who knew and loved her.

Lissa is survived by her loving husband, Jeff, her five extraordinary sons, Nick, Ben, Matt, CJ, and Gabe, her grandson Vincent, her mother, Mona Pyret, and her in-laws Mike and Joanne James.

A Life Story Celebration will be held Monday, September 22, from 4-7 PM at Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes, 6080 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo (269) 375-2900. The Rosary will be recited at 6:30 PM. Mass will be celebrated Tuesday, September 23, at 11 AM at St. Margaret’s Catholic Church, Otsego. Burial will follow at St. Margaret’s Cemetery. Lunch will then be served in the gymnasium. Donations can be made in lieu of flowers to Positive Options of Allegan or WoodsEdge Learning Center in Portage. Celebrate Lissa’s life online by sharing your favorite stories and photos on her dedicated web page at BetzlerLifeStory.com.