A Life Story

Mr. James William Higgins died on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 at the age of 93. He was born in Detroit, MI on August 23, 1931 to James William Higgins and Edna Katherine Fritz Higgins. He was preceded in death by both parents and by his sole brother, Louis John Higgins. Mr. Higgins graduated from Albion College in Albion, MI with a B.A. degree. He also attended Bowling Green State University (Ohio) where he received a M.A. degree followed by additional post-graduate studies at the University of St. Paul, MN.Mr. Higgin's career began as a labor economist in 1960 at the U.S. Department of Labor's affiliated Minnesota Dept. of Employment Security where he served as the labor market analyst for the city of St. Paul. He subsequently transferred to administration where he continued as a labor economist until he retired in 1984. During his career in Washington he was primarily involved with the development, analysis and publication of employment and unemployment information for States and areas throughout the country.Following retirement from the Labor Department Mr. Higgins moved to Georgia's beautiful St. Simons Island, GA and then to Savannah, he worked for several years in the real estate industry, first for Coldwell Banker Greater Savannah Realty and later for Keller Williams Realty Coastal Area Partners.Because Mr. Higgins and his brother never married, there are no surviving family members but his close friends and particularly his late friend of almost 50 years Brother Robert F. Sokolowski who died in 2022. Mr. Higgins will be buried in the family plot at Woodlawn Cemetery in Marine City, MI.