James T. Ludwiczak

James T. Ludwiczak, 80, of Owensboro, passed away on June 19, 2026. James was born on November 22, 1945, in New Rochelle, New York, to the late Thomas and Jennie Yablonski Ludwiczak, and grew up in South Deerfield, Massachusetts.

A 1964 graduate of Frontier Regional High School, Jim was active in athletics and student life, playing basketball and football, competing in the high jump on the track team, and taking part in the Chess Club, Explorers' Club, Varsity F Club, and senior class committee.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1965 under the High School Graduate Specialist Program, completing basic training at Fort Dix, New Jersey, and attending the Army Signal School at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, for fixed station receiver repair. He went on to Officer Candidate School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, graduating as a lieutenant in January 1967 and ranking 11th in leadership in a class of 126. He also completed a target acquisition officer's course at Fort Sill, training in artillery radar, survey, and sound and flash ranging.

Jim served overseas in Korea as a forward observer along the Demilitarized Zone. Upon his return to the United States, he was stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky, where he met his beloved future wife, Martha Henry. The two married in 1969 and moved to Massachusetts, where he graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

After graduating, Jim and Martha returned to Kentucky, where he began his career with the Green Coal Company. He later joined the Commonwealth of Kentucky's Division of Explosives and Blasting in 1972 as its first inspector. Over the years, he rose steadily through the division, serving as inspector, inspector-instructor, senior inspector, and acting director before being appointed director, effective January 1, 1979, in an appointment approved and signed by Governor Julian Carroll.

During his years with the division, Jim helped build much of its foundation. He developed the division's inspection program and created a course on the safe, legal, and efficient use of explosives, recognized at the time as the first course of its kind developed by a state or federal government. The course later helped shape training programs in neighboring states. He also developed training for federal mining inspectors, chaired a technical workshop at the Federal Surface Mining Regulations Conference in Washington, D.C., and wrote and published articles on western Kentucky strip mine blasting, electrical hazards of blasting, and the safe handling and destruction of explosives. In 1984, he authored The Blasting Primer, a study guide for students of explosive engineering.

He went on to serve as president of Blasting and Mining Consultants, Inc., of Owensboro, Kentucky, and was elected to the board of directors of the Society of Explosive Engineers, a worldwide professional organization. It was an honor he received more than once, and at the time he was noted as the first independently nominated member elected to the board. Over the course of his career, Jim was frequently called upon as an expert witness in federal cases involving blasting and explosives.

Jim was a big man with an even bigger personality, and he was never shy about telling you exactly what he thought, often before you had finished asking. He loved his family deeply and was devoted to them in every way, staying closely involved in their lives and showing up for their activities and events. That same love extended to his grandchildren, who affectionately knew him as "Me Sir." Ever the protective father, he had a memorable way of greeting his daughters' dates, reminding the young men, with a knowing smile, that he “blew stuff up” for a living.

He filled his life with the things and people he loved. An avid golfer, Jim was part of one of the oldest foursomes at Owensboro Country Club. He had a deep passion for Harley-Davidson motorcycles and loved traveling the country to learn more about their history, visiting museums, and attending rallies along the way. He was also fond of Corvettes, including one he affectionately called his "little red car." A devoted supporter of athletics at Kentucky Wesleyan College, he was a member of the All-American Club, as well as a member of the Masons and the Shriners. A proud American and a proud Republican, he loved his country dearly. A man of faith, he cherished his church home at Hopewell Baptist Church.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife of 54 years, Martha Henry Ludwiczak, and his brother, Michael Ludwiczak.

Those left to cherish his memory include his children, Barrett L. Ludwiczak of Owensboro, Leigh McIntire and her husband, Chris, of Cincinnati, Lori Scholl and her husband, Ben, of Charleston, South Carolina, and Beth Kelley and her husband, Mike, of Greenville, South Carolina; his grandchildren, Ryder McIntire, Otto Scholl, Sinclaire Scholl, Tatum Kelley, Hollins Kelley, and Bowen Kelley; his companion, Tonya Marksberry; and his brother, Thomas Ludwiczak and his wife, Sharon.

A private celebration of life will be held.

Care has been entrusted to Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory.

Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to Hopewell Baptist Church, 6258 Jack Hinton Rd, Philpot, KY 42366.