James A Schlesky (Boris) was born on April 12th, 1958, to James D and Charlene (Ness) Schlesky. He grew up in the Clemons area and graduated from West Marshall High School in 1976. James worked for Sundstrand and John Deere briefly but found his passion in carpentry. When he was in high school, he excelled at chess, his nickname Boris was after the famous chess player Boris Spassky. James' hobbies included playing pool and pepper. He also enjoyed auto racing, one of his favorite trips was to the Daytona 500. He knew no stranger. He befriended everyone. In 1985, he married Kim Kirk, and they were blessed with their daughter, Megan. He is survived by his daughter, Megan Schlesky; grandchildren Chale and Nora, mother, Charlene Havens and siblings, Kevin (Connie) Schlesky, Lorraine (Tim) Peterson, Myra Schlesky, Nathan (Christy) Parker and Hugh Parker, and numerous nieces and nephews. James Schlesky passed away on July 2, 2025. A graveside service was held on Saturday, July 5, 2025 at Clemons Cemetery in Clemons, IA.