James Pelt

James D Pelt, 65, passed away peacefully at his home in Gulf Breeze on Thursday, June 13th 2024. James was lovingly cared for by his beloved wife Susan and cherished daughter Jennifer through many years of chronic illness, always showing incredible grace and resilience. Despite his health challenges, James was always quick with a smile, a laugh, a story, or a helping hand. 

Born in Dallas, TX, James spent most of his adult life in Gulf Breeze. He was talented in many fields and enriched many people in the community with his skills and expertise. During his career he owned and operated a video rental store, was facilities manager at the Pensacola Beach Holiday Inn, and was IT/Network manager for both Baskerville Donovan and the City of Gulf Breeze. He also volunteered for many years at his church, assisting with audio/visual production. 

During his retirement, James enjoyed 3-D printing and laser engraving beautiful gifts and jewelry that he sold online, at craft markets, and gave to friends. Anything that caught his interest he was eager to learn about. He loved to discover how things worked and build his own versions of electronic devices, clocks, and gaming consoles, just to name a few. His intellect and wit were unmatched. James would easily be the smartest person in most rooms he entered, but his humble and down-to-earth nature would never give him away. 

Game nights with friends were a ritual, and a wonderful outlet for his strategic mind. He was a voracious reader, loving a variety of genres, but gravitated to science fiction and fantasy for recreation. The positive vision of the future and an exploration of the unknown drew James to Star Trek early on and was a favorite of his. In addition to his pursuit of knowledge and his fascination with technology and engineering, James was a man of strong faith. With all of his varied interests and talents, nothing was more important to him than his family, especially his wife and daughter.

James is survived by his wife Susan Pelt, daughter Jennifer Pelt, sisters Mia, Dana, Kim, and Kasey, Stepmother Karen, and niece Natalie, as well as extended family. He is preceded in death by his parents Thomas and Jean, brother Kenneth, and sister Cathy.

Funeral Services will be held at Rose Lawn Funeral Home, in Gulf Breeze, Friday June 21st, 2024 beginning at 11:00. Visitation with the family will be 10:30 – 11:00. 

A lunch reception will be held at the Keenan Residence, 2635 Edmund Drive, Gulf Breeze, FL 32563 following the service. 

In lieu of flowers, the family invites those interested to make a donation to the Lupus Foundation of America or the American Kidney Fund.