James “Jim” J. Carroll, 71, of Cloquet, Minn. passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, June 24, 2012, in Cook, Minn.

He was born March 13, 1941, in Austin, Minn. to Francis and Frances (Graves) Carroll and graduated from Pacelli High School in Austin in 1959. Jim served in the U.S. Air Force from January 1960 to October 1963. He was stationed in Shreveport, La. at Barksdale AFB for three years. Upon completion of his military tour of duty, he returned to Austin and attended Austin Jr. College. Jim was united in marriage to Patricia Harris at Queen of Angels Church in 1965. They resided in Bemidji, Minn. where he graduated from Bemidji State University in March of 1968 with a degree in accounting.

Jim had a 37-year career in health care finance and administration. His work took his family to Bemidji, where he served as Business Office Manager at Bemidji Hospital and Meeker County Hospital in Litchfield, Minn.; director of finance at St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll, Iowa; and finally to Cloquet in 1979 where he was assistant administrator. In 1983 he was appointed CEO/administrator of the Cloquet Community Memorial Hospital. He graduated from the University of Minnesota with a credential in advanced health care administration in June 1983. Jim retired in 2001 after 22 years of service at Community Memorial Hospital.

Jim also continued to work during the next seven years doing audit work for a company in Houston, Texas and as a two-year temporary CEO at White Community Hospital in Aurora, Minn. His service was not limited to the hospital in Cloquet. He was a past president of the Cloquet Rotary Club and Chamber of Commerce and Drive Chairman of the United Way of N.E. Carlton County. After his retirement, he was a member of the Cloquet Community Memorial Hospital Foundation Board of Directors and was president in 2004-2005. Jim also served on the Minnesota Hospital Association Board of Directors for nine years. He chaired the Rural Hospital Committee Association and was a strong advocate for rural hospital access.

Jim’s hobbies included golf, where he once got a hole-in-one at the Cloquet Country Club; hunting, fishing, and traveling. He was a fan of the Minnesota Twins and Vikings as well as a super fan of the Minnesota Gophers football and basketball teams. He was also a member Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Cloquet.

Jim was preceded in death by his mother. He is survived by his wife, Patricia; two sons, James F. (Trish) Carroll of Brandenburg, Ky. and Timothy (Julie) Carroll of Cloquet; his father, Francis Carroll of Austin; grandchildren, Daniel, Jennifer, Nicholas, Megan and Courtney; two great-grandchildren, Conner and Lillian; one brother Patrick (Elaine) Carroll of Chippewa Falls, Wis.; one sister, Martha (Jake) Rietsema of Austin; brothers-in-law, Robert (Ruth) Harris of Lake City, Minn., Bill (Rosemary) Harris of Rosemont, Minn., Tom (Becky) Harris of Rochester, Minn. and a sister-in-law, Mary (Chuck) Arett of Minong, Wis.; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be 5–7 p.m. Wednesday, June 27, 2012, at Nelson Funeral Care in Cloquet. The visitation will resume on Thursday, June 28, 2012, from 10 a.m. until the 11 a.m. Mass of Christian burial at Queen of Peace Catholic Church, followed with Military Honors presented by the Cloquet Combined Honor Guard. A luncheon and time of fellowship will follow in the church social hall. The family has selected Nelson Funeral Care of Cloquet to assist them with arrangements. See the family online guest book at www.nelsonfuneralcare.net. The family prefers memorials to the Community Memorial Hospital Foundation.