James Michael Borling's Obituary
James Michael Borling, age 60 of Powell, Ohio passed away at his home surrounded by his family on February 9, 2024. He was born on June 23, 1963, in Berea, Ohio to his parents Ken and Mary Ann (McLaughlin) Borling. He grew up in Parma, Ohio, and graduated from Medina Joint Vocational School. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from The Ohio State University in 1990.
Jim met the love of his life, Elaine (Getz) Borling at The Ohio State University and they married in 1993. They raised two sons, Luke James (26) and Liam Porter (24). Jim considered being a dad his greatest blessing. He was a big kid at heart who enjoyed playing with his boys and their friends for the last 26 years. It was a great excuse for Jim to play games every day of his life. Mean Mr. Jim (MMJ) was known to partake in Halloween antics, posing as a scarecrow or disguising himself in a ghillie suit to scare all who dared venture on his street. He was also known to steal birthday wishes from the little ones by blowing out their candles, which led to a lack of birthday party invitations later in life!
Jim was a fun loving, kind, and caring individual with an infectious laugh that was like no other. He knew no stranger and welcomed all into his home. He always knew how to make you laugh with one of his many stories or antics and how to make you smile on your most difficult days. He lived and loved life to the fullest, making lifelong friends with everyone he met along the way.
Jim loved traveling and exploring new places. He treasured his trips to Hilton Head with many close friends, but he especially loved his annual trips to Northern Michigan to spend time with his Uncle Dick and Aunt Cathy in the U.P. or just camping along the rivers near Traverse City with his sons and brothers. He enjoyed searching for new adventures when he went kayaking and hiking. He also had an affinity for rocks whether he was building cairns, flower beds, or just looking for the most beautiful Petosky stones to add to his collection.
Jim built his career in the paint and chemical industry for over 30 years. He worked at DuPont, Morton Nippon, and Akzo Nobel, but his true passion was building and creating with his hands. He eventually started his own remodeling business that allowed him the opportunity to do so many beautiful home projects for his friends and family. Over the years, he made his own home a paradise through his remodeling and woodworking projects. His creativity was expressed throughout his house and flowed into his yard in the beautiful gardens and outdoor living area. Everything in his home was built with love and for sharing with friends and family.
Jim’s fall weekends were filled with the Buckeyes and Browns football games. Jim was a proud Browns season ticket holder along with his brother Mark. In the event they were not at the game, he could be heard coaching from his couch as he was known to cheer a bit too loudly. At the beginning of every season Jim would declare this was their year to go to the Superbowl. With Jim’s constant cheering and couch coaching over the years, he was finally able to enjoy a winning season for his Browns.
He will be greatly missed by his wife, children, and pets; his father, Ken Borling of Brunswick, Ohio; his in-laws William (Shirley) Getz of Sugar Grove Ohio; brothers Matthew Borling of Brunswick, Ohio and Mark (Betsy) Borling of Broadview Heights, Ohio; sister Ann (David) Zelch of Medina, Ohio; Brothers-in-law Leon (Molly) Getz and Charles Getz of Lancaster, Ohio; Nieces and Nephews: Sarah Borling, Kaitlyn (Chris) Ozminkowski, Jacob (Grace) Getz; Cassie and Josh Zelch and his many loving aunts, uncles, and cousins.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Habitat for Humanity in Jim’s memory at www.Habitat.org or Pelotonia Cancer Research at the Richard J Solove & James Cancer Research Institute at The Ohio State University www.pelotonia.org/profile/EB0111
A memorial service will be held on Thursday, February 29th at 10:00 AM at the First Congregational Church, 444 East Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio. A celebration of Jim’s life is being planned for June 23, 2024.
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