BARRINGTON, Ill. — James Ralph Lancaster, 82, of Scottsdale, Ariz., died Sunday, Oct. 19, 2014, in Barrington.

A celebration of life will be at 3 p.m. Nov. 29 at the Presbyterian Church of Barrington with the Rev. Drs. Joe Dorociak and John Schmidt and the Rev. Kate Kelly officiating.

He was born Dec. 9, 1931, in Kearney, Neb., to Ralph and Bernice Lancaster.

As a young man, Jim left Kearney to pursue a degree in industrial engineering at Northwestern University in Evanston. Upon graduation from Northwestern in 1955, he went to work for IBM and in 1964 received a master’s in business administration from the University of Chicago.

After 15 years in marketing management at IBM, Jim was ready for a new challenge and turned to a second career in banking, where he put his marketing expertise to work for a group of community banks that later became part of the National Bank of Detroit and ultimately First Chicago. He retired in December 1996 as executive vice president of First Chicago and First National Bank of Chicago.

Jim married his childhood sweetheart, Patricia Carolyn Christensen, on June 14, 1953, and they made their home in Mount Prospect, where they raised five children. Jim and Patti were active in the Community Presbyterian Church in Mount Prospect and later the Presbyterian Church of Barrington. Together, they enjoyed golf, bridge, musical events and travel, and they always made family their priority.

A formative experience in Jim’s youth as the 1949 Nebraska Boys State governor contributed to his lifelong commitment to good governance. He demonstrated this commitment throughout his business career as well as in his active service to the community. During his banking career, Jim served on the boards of Northwest Housing Partnership, The Illinois Math and Science Foundation, Northern Cook County Private Industry Council and United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Chicago.

His strong belief in education led to his service on the boards of the Harper College Foundation and the Northwestern University Library.

After moving to Barrington in 1988, Jim became a founding director of the Barrington Area Community Foundation and also served on the governing councils of Good Shepherd Hospital and the Hospice Foundation of Northeastern Illinois, now Journeycare. Jim was instrumental in the development and building of the Pepper Family Hospice Home in Barrington, the first of its kind in the area. Jim’s integrity and business experience, combined with his servant’s heart, have left a lasting legacy for many organizations and countless citizens of his community.

Jim is survived by his five children and their spouses, Anne and Scott Springer, Craig Lancaster and Charlene Handler, Nancy and Terry Liskevych, Mark Lancaster and Nancy Woodruff, and Amy Lancaster; and his brother, Charles W. “Bill” Lancaster and his wife, Melba. He was also a loving grandfather, role model and mentor to 12 grandchildren: Eric Wendler and wife Christine, Sarah Sandona and husband Benedict, David Wendler, Steven Wendler, Mark Liskevych, Krista Mason and husband Dexter, Sage Lancaster, Reed Lancaster, Owen Lancaster, Evan Bills, Christian Bills and Madison Ellis.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Patricia Carolyn Christensen Lancaster.