James Alan Cardoza passed away on August 10, 2022, after a long illness, surrounded by his loving family. He passed at cocktail hour, which was his favorite time of day to enjoy a glass of scotch, listen to some jazz, and play a game of cards. His family was able to properly toast him by sharing in a bottle of Dewars, his drink of choice.

Jim was born May 19, 1944, in Emporia, Kansas, and grew up in Fresno, California. Jim was a man of many talents. He was an avid sailor from an early age and later shared a love of the sport with his children and grandchildren. Following his father's example, he was also an accomplished jazz drummer and sat in for his father at venues throughout the Fresno area. He was the drummer in Warren Zevon's first band.

Jim was an award-winning architect, having worked with many established firms across the country. His long list of notable domestic and international projects includes many recognizable structures in the Detroit area, including the Center for Creative Studies (now the College of Creative Studies, also known as the "tinker toy building"), Detroit Receiving Hospital, the Coleman A. Young Community Center, and the Furstenberg Study Center in Ann Arbor. He also taught architecture at the University of Detroit and Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, Michigan, inspiring scores of students with his strong design integrity.

Jim was a noted and multi-talented artist, musician, sailor, fount of pop culture, and builder of things who everyone in our extended family adored and revered; he guided our daily aesthetic choices and advised us all on matters related to plumbing, electrical, and roofing. He will forever be remembered for his quick wit, deep intellect, and wonderful talent for storytelling.

Jim's impeccable taste, love of design, and extreme thoughtfulness carried into other parts of his life. These qualities, for example, made him an incredible gift-giver. One Christmas, he created a Gerrit Reitveld-style chair kit for each of his children. The kits including all the necessary materials and meticulously hand-drawn instructions, all of which fit perfectly into a flat-pack box.

Jim is survived by: his partner and the love of his life, Sue Slack; his brother, Michael Cardoza; five children, Geoffrey Cardoza (Kara), Alexis Cardoza (David Knapp), Jillian Atkinson (Scott), Casey Zeman (Diana), and Jeremy Zeman; ten grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Jim was preceded in death by: his parents, Betty Jean and Ernest Cardoza; his daughter, Michele Hansen (Michael); and his grandson, Felix Cardoza.

Memorial services will be held at 2:00 PM, Saturday, September 17, 2022, at The Playhouse at White Lake in Whitehall, Michigan.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Volterra-Detroit Foundation, a residential college program started by the University of Detroit Mercy, https://volterra-detroit.org/ or Jim's alma mater, Cal Poly, the school of Architecture and Design https://www.calpoly.edu .

Beacon Cremation & Funeral Service, White Lake Chapel, is in charge of arrangements.

www.beaconfh.com