ELKHART — James Wiley Stanford Sr., 79, of Elkhart, passed away at the Greenleaf Health Campus of Elkhart on the morning of Thursday, May 17, 2018.

James was born Nov. 16, 1938, in Marmaduke, Arkansas, to the late William and Verlie (Meridith) Stanford.

He married Rosealene Smith on Nov. 20, 1967, in Cassopolis, Michigan.

He is survived by his wife, Rosealene Stanford; children Linda (James) Housand, Debbie Wakeman, James (Sandy) Stanford Jr., Cindy (John) Gunnett and Tanya (Wesley) Yowl; 21 grandchildren; a host of great-grandchildren; four siblings and three stepsiblings.

He was preceded in death by great-grandchildren Riley Ann and Waylon Michael Harbour.

The staff of Billings Funeral Home in Elkhart are honored to host a graveside service for James at 1 p.m. Monday, May 21, in Prairie Street Cemetery in Elkhart.