James Harry “Jim” Maynard IV, 76, of Marshall passed away at his home surrounded by his family September 23, 2026 after a short battle with Parkinson’s.
Visitation will take place Monday, September 28, 2026 from 4:00-7:00 pm at Kempf Family Funeral and Cremation Services, 723 US Highway 27 North in Marshall. A rosary will follow, starting at 7:00 p.m.
A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, September 29, 2026 at St. Mary Catholic Church, Marshall with Reverend Craig Lusk officiating. Interment will follow at St. Mary Cemetery. Family will gather with friends at the St. Mary Parish Hall following committal services.
Jim was born August 2, 1950 in Omaha, Nebraska. A man of immense faith, he attended Saint Joseph Preparatory College in Edgerton, Wisconsin, to become a priest, before deciding his higher calling was something else. He came back to Nebraska and attended Creighton University in his pursuit to become a doctor like his father.
Jim always told his employees that some people find jobs and some jobs find people. He had worked a number of jobs prior, but the job that would find him was an opportunity at McDonald’s.
The opportunity took him from Omaha to Michigan, where he became a Manager Trainee at the SW Capital Ave restaurant in Battle Creek in 1974. In 1975, he opened the Marshall restaurant as the first restaurant manager. Something that was supposed to be temporary to support a young family would turn into an amazing career he loved. Jim would work more than 50 years at McDonald’s, becoming a franchise Owner/Operator with Laura in 2001.
Jim and Laura met at McDonald’s and would marry on June 21, 1986, at Saint Mary Catholic Church in Marshall. They would become Area Supervisors and later Operations Managers before buying their first five McDonald’s locations from their longtime mentor, Jim Brasseur. During the next 24 years of ownership, Jim and Laura would run up to 17 restaurants in South Central Michigan and Northeast Indiana, retiring at the end of 2024.
Jim always had a personal relationship with his team, where his fine attention to details showed how much he valued each of them individually. This was felt personally with each local and corporate ally, who Jim always made feel like a true partner and collaborator.
His family was always Jim’s priority. He grew up a proud Irish Catholic, the third child of eight. He carried the strong values he grew up with to his own family, always putting them at the forefront of every decision he made. He was a natural patriarch because he always looked to ensure everyone was valued and considered, both at home in Michigan and for his family in Nebraska. His hobbies almost always involved his family, whether it was grilling for large family gatherings, captaining the pontoon boat, attending sporting events, or taking family trips.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Rosemary (Litton) and Dr. Jim Maynard III, as well as his sister, Annie (Gudenrath). He is survived by his loving wife of 40 years, Laura (Perry); his son, James of Coldwater with his wife Becky (Griffiths) and children, Ashley (Smith), Dillon, Jimmy, and Kenzi; his son, Mikey of Coldwater with his wife Jessica (Lewis) and children, Cece, Tommy, and Rosie; and his daughter, Katie also of Coldwater with her son, Chris. Also surviving are sisters, Mary, Bridget (Gudenrath), Rosie (Gazda), Theresa (Ramelb); and brother, John- all from Omaha; and sister, Dr. Colleen (Cirotski) of Kansas City.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are requested to Saint Mary Catholic Church, the Ronald McDonald House West Michigan, or the Branch County Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (https://278safe.com/donations/).
Leave a personal message for the family and sign the online guestbook at www.kempffuneralhome.com
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