James Ray Dille was born July 30, 1960, in St. Louis, MO to George Russell Dille and Daisy Rae (Mahoney) Dille and died June 23, 2024. He was 63 years old.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Daisy, and his grandparents.
He grew up in Topeka, KS, graduated from Topeka West HS in 1978, and graduated with a BS in Anthropology from Kansas State University in 1987. He worked for nearly 30 years at K-State as a lab animal technician for the Comparative Medicine Group (CMG) in the College of Veterinary Medicine, research technologist at the Biosecurity Research Institute (BRI) between 2014-22, and recently as Facility Manager for the CMG.
On December 2, 2008, he married Cynthia Faye Knauft, the love of his life. They cherished each other and spent 30 years together. James is survived by his father George, his brother Russell (Anita), nephews George (Anna), Clint (Emma), and Jacob, two great-nephews (Ellis and Hayes) and one great niece (Rylen Rae). James is also survived by his mother-in-law Patsy R. Liggett, brother-in-law Charles F. Knauft IV (Charlene) with nephew Chaz (Sencia) and niece Nikole (Michael Neuterman) and great-nephews Adrian and Jackson, and brother-in-law Christopher F. Knauft (Britt) and nieces Sara and Emma. He is also survived by his uncle James F. Dille (Mary), uncle James ‘Buddy’ Mahoney, and many cousins.
James and Cynthia spent much of their time together in Manhattan, KS. James had many animals he loved throughout his life, especially Hardly (hardly big enough to be called a dog), Coco (retired Therapy Dog), Ralphie (retired Therapy Dog that would forget who James was if he was in the basement too long), and beloved black cat, KittyKitty, along with a menagerie of other rescue animals and birds. They were season ticket holders for K-State Women’s Basketball and cheered on the Lady Cats together with George and Daisy for many seasons. James enjoyed all K-State sports teams and together they were avid KC Royals and Chiefs fans.
James, also known as JR or Jay to his friends and family, loved to stay connected with everyone that crossed paths with him through life. He could recall the names and birthdays and other details of every friend and interaction at the drop of a hat. On his motorcycle rides around the US, he would be sure to reach out and visit people he knew. He enjoyed being outdoors and liked to hunt, fish, and do rock climbing. Nearly every summer, James would go on a one-week motorcycle trip and meet up with his fellow FJR riders. His favorite road to ride was Spearfish Canyon, in Spearfish, SD, and he was returning from there when this tragic accident took place.
Services to remember James will be on Saturday, July 6, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. at the Westmoreland United Methodist Church, 109 Main St., Westmoreland, KS 66549. After the service and visitation, his ashes will be scattered at 3:30 p.m. near to his mother, Daisy, across the Kansas Flint Hills on the Dille Farm near Olsburg, KS.
Donations in memory of James Ray Dille can be designated to the T. Russell Reitz Animal Shelter or the Sunset Zoo, both in Manhattan, KS.
Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home, 1616 Poyntz Ave, Manhattan, KS 66502 are assisting the family with arrangements.