James “Jim” Moats

Passed away peacefully at home on August 3, 2026. He will be forever remembered and always loved as a giving and fun-loving father, grandfather, great-grandfather brother, uncle and friend.

Jim enjoyed the simple pleasures in life; he loved nothing more than spending time with family and friends. Whether he was just hanging out, sharing stories, or reminiscing about old times, he was in his element. And when a friendly game of poker or euchre started up, he was always ready to play. He also enjoyed camping, fishing, and had a great love of music, especially Elvis and the Righteous Hillbillies led by his son, Brent James Moats. Jim was the unofficial supervisor of every family project, he never missed a chance to give a comment, a critique, or a “helpful suggestion.” He leaves us with the same effortless charm and legendary supervision that made him the boss of every task, even the ones he wasn’t technically involved in. It's a trait we will truly miss. He spent his working years in automotive part sales, becoming the kind of steady, dependable presence, everyone counted on. And in the last 15 years, he found a second family at Dollar General, where the work was important, but the friendships were what truly mattered. Jim always took special pride in the projects he helped with, especially when he was working alongside his good friends Art and Angelo. Those weren’t just tasks for him; they were moments shared with friends.

Jim was a proud member of Belmont AC for more than 40 years. His love of baseball inspired him to volunteer as a Little League coach for a decade, sharing his passion for the game with countless young players. A devoted Chicago Cubs fan, Jim loved sports, but nothing brought him greater joy than watching his son, Jayme, and his grandchildren compete. He was their biggest fan, cheering them on and proudly supporting them in every sport they played.

He is survived by his three children, Kim (late Tommy) Kilcoyne, Brent (Karen) Moats and Jayme (Kori) Moats, his 9 grandchildren Keith Kilcoyne, Kaylan (fiancée Sam) Moats, Jordan (fiancée Rachel) Moats, Devin (fiancée Marisa) Moats, Dylan Moats, Alexiya (fiancée Nate) Moats, Anneka Moats, Laynuh Wollenzien, & Ethan Moats, and his four great-grandchildren Alayna and Gabriella Rodriguez, Jordan Moats Jr, and Evangelina Casillas. Also survived by his three loving sisters, Judy Pampuch, Sandy Harames and Kim Sandstrom, beloved sisters-in-law Renee Keagle, Peggy Skoff and Char Moats as well as numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

He is preceded in death by his loving and devoted wife, Diane (Skoff) Moats, his parents John and Betty Moats, his brothers John and Dave Moats, brother-in-law, Jim Pampuch and son-in-law Tommy Kilcoyne.

A memorial visitation will be held at Carlson Holmquist-Sayles Funeral Home & Crematory, 2320 Black Rd., Saturday, August 15, 2026, from 9:00 AM until time of services at 11:30 AM. In lieu of flowers, donations to the family for future memorials would be greatly appreciated.