Jim Lubker was a gentleman and a scholar. He was born on December 15, 1935, the only child of Preston and Lillian (Wood) Lubker in Huron, South Dakota. When he was four years old he was voted the cutest little boy in Denison, Iowa and received the title “Little Master Denison.” They settled in Estherville, Iowa, where Jim graduated from high school in 1954. He waterskied in Okoboji in the summers and went to dances at the Roof Garden in Arnolds Park.

Jim worked for a country veterinarian in high school and lost his hearing after a brucellosis infection contracted during that work. In college Jim became interested in speech pathology because of his own experiences with hearing loss and the resulting speech challenges he faced. He earned his PhD in speech pathology from the University of Iowa and worked in research at Iowa and then the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

In 1972, Jim moved to Stockholm, Sweden to work at the University of Stockholm in the experimental phonetics laboratory of Bjorn Lindblom. He was a prolific scholar, publishing and collaborating. Jim believed that collaborative, thoughtful research could solve important problems and make the world better. He approached his work and the world with joy and humor. This included publishing a paper with his friend and colleague Bob Porter called Some interesting things you can do with your tongue about “the properties of tongue control-space.”

It was in Sweden that Jim met his love, Karin Holmgren. She worked in the same laboratory at the University and captured his heart immediately. They built a life together in Stockholm, full of adventure and curiosity. In 1984 they moved stateside, when Jim accepted a position as the Chair of the Department of Communication Science and Disorders at the University of Vermont. In 1995, Jim’s career took them to Cedar Falls, Iowa where he worked at the University of Northern Iowa as Dean of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts, and then as interim Executive Vice President and Provost for Academic Affairs from 2005-2009. Jim was immensely proud of his professional accomplishments and left lasting legacies at several universities.

After his retirement in 2009, Jim enjoyed time with family, especially Karin and his grandchildren. He loved trying new restaurants, cooking, and reading. He read voraciously, mostly non-fiction, and followed politics closely. He always voted. He loved his grandchildren fiercely and was in awe of them daily.

Jim was preceded in death by his beloved wife Karin and his son Adam. He is survived by his daughters Meghan Lubker (Bill Tolbert) and Disa (Eric) Cornish as well as his grandchildren Ava and Emlin Tolbert, Sophie, Elias, and Emilia Cornish, and Jacob and Sarah Lubker.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the UNI Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center (https://gbpac.com/join-friends) or Cedar Valley Hospice (https://www.cvhospice.org/donate/). Or, support Jim’s favorite restaurants by enjoying a nice meal at Gilmore’s or Table 1912 at Jorgensen Plaza in Cedar Falls – you can even order a “Lubker” martini…shaken, not stirred.

We will miss him. The memorial service will take place on Thursday, July 9 at 2 pm at the Diamond Event Center in Cedar Falls. Please join us to celebrate Jim’s life – he loved a good party!