James "Jim" Julian Bouck, age 74, of Branson, Missouri.

James "Jim" Julian Bouck, age 74, of Branson, Missouri, passed away on January 26, 2025, at home with loved ones. He entered this life on June 11, 1950, in Traverse City, Michigan, the son of John D. and Carole (Branch) Bouck.

After entering the army in 1970, Jim graduated from the Naval Justice School in Newport, Rhode Island, with the highest honors as a closed microphone “steno mask” court reporter. Later that year, he was assigned to the Headquarters Company of the 101st Air Borne Division at Camp Eagle in Phu Bai, where he spent the next year reporting General Courts Martial. There, he was advanced to the rank of Specialist 5th Class equivalent to Sergeant, was awarded the Bronze Star and promoted to Senior Court Reporter.

Jim finished his career in the military at Ft. Benning, Georgia, where he also reported General Courts Martial for Colonel Reid Kennedy, who presided over Courts Martial for crimes stemming from the My Mi Lai Massacre.

During his stay at Ft. Benning, he was sent TDY to the Pentagon in Washington D.C. and was one of four court reporters to report the 1971 Commanders Conference. The Conferees consisted of the 64 highest-ranking commanders from all five military branches. Jim left the Service in 1972 and joined the 16th Circuit Court of Jackson County Missouri, where he served for 37 years.

Jim was a true professional in the field of court reporting. His colleagues say his transcripts were a work of art and that he paid great attention to detail. Jim worked diligently to receive many certifications, including Missouri Certified Court Reporter, Certified Verbatim Reporter, Realtime Verbatim Reporter, and Certificate of Merit.

Jim was part of a grant project conducted by the Missouri Office of State Courts and the State Justice Institute studying the use of speech recognition in real-time in the courtroom. He was the First Certified Realtime Verbatim Reporter in the United States. He was also a member of NVRA (National Verbatim Reporters Association) and MCRA (Missouri Court Reporters Association), which awarded him the Missouri State Champion in the MCRA Speed Contest in 1992, the Distinguished Service Award in 2004, was President of MCRA in 1995, and served on its Legislative Committee in 1996, 1997, and 1998.

Jim was the Missouri State Speed Champion in 1992 and its runner-up in 1993, where the words fly at more than 260 words per minute. He was judged 4th fastest, in the Nation at the National Verbatim Reporters Association's "Fast as Hell Championship" in 1975. For 45 years, Jim worked as a Certified Court Reporter for both the State of Missouri and the Jackson County Circuit Court. He was also a former partner in Neff and Bouck Reporting in Springfield, Missouri.

Jim was joined in marriage on October 24, 1997, to Lynnette Renaudin. Jim was a loving husband and father who cherished the better things life had to offer, such as float trips, RVing, movies, “brewskies,” cheering on the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals; spending time with his sons, their wives, and his grandchildren; and dipping his toes in rushing Missouri waters or the Gulf of America (f/k/a the Gulf of Mexico). Jim was also a proud supporter of our great President Donald J Trump in all three of his elections. Jim is preceded in death by his parents, John D. and Carole Bouck, and his brother, John Bouck.

Jim is survived by his wife of 27 years, Lynnette Bouck, two sons: Jason (Erika) Bouck of Destin, Florida, and Joshua (Amy) Bouck of Austin, Texas, four grandchildren, Zoe, Lindsey, Ashley, and Austin; sister Jaynie Allee of Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, and sister-in-law Mary Bouck of Overland Park, Kansas. No formal services are currently planned. Arrangements and cremation are under the direction of Cremations of the Ozarks. To leave an online condolence or a memory, please visit www.cremationsoftheozarks.com.