James Thomas "J.T." Cardens, 75, of Baldwin City, Kansas, was born on October 23, 1941, in St. Louis, Missouri, a son of Alphonse Frank and Mary Jane (Doyel) Cardens, and departed this life at 8:25 p.m., Thursday evening, December 29, 2016, at his home in Baldwin City. Mr. Cardens was united in marriage on December 31, 1979, at Honolulu, Hawaii, to the former Sandra Joyce Baker. He was preceded in death by his father, Alphonse on June 30, 1947, and his mother, Mary Jane on November 4, 1979. He was also preceded in death by a half-brother, Alphonse F. Cardens, Jr., Redding, California and a half-sister, Shirley J. Hughes, Holts Summit, Missouri.

Mr. Cardens was a United States Navy veteran retiring as a Lieutenant in 1979 after serving his country for twenty years. J.T. played in bands while in the Navy and following retirement he formed his own band playing country, southern rock, and gospel music. In 1983, he became plant operations director for ServiceMaster in several locations; later, he was employed by the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri, and most recently as plant operations director at Baker University, Baldwin City, Kansas, retiring from there in 2003. Mr. Cardens, an avid golfer and joke teller, was a member of the Baldwin City Golf Assn., Friends of the Lumberyard Arts Center, and Friends of the Baldwin City Library, all of Baldwin City, Kansas; the Fleet Reserve Association, Portsmouth, Virginia; and the Roscoe Enloe American Legion Post Number 5, Jefferson City, Missouri.

Mr. Cardens is survived by his wife, Sandra, of the home in Baldwin City, Kansas; one son and daughter-in-law, Jesse J. Cardens and Veronica Whipple, Baldwin City; one brother and sister-in-law, Donald R. and Miho Cardens, Port Orchard, Washington; one half-sister, Bonnie I. Brooks, Rolla, MO, adopted family members Grace and Orrin Smith, Olathe, Kansas; several nieces and nephews, many other relatives and friends.

Memorial contributions are suggested by the family to the Lumberyard Arts Center, P.O. Box 523, Baldwin City, Kansas 66006, or the Douglas Co. Visiting Nurse Association, 200 Maine, Ste. C, Lawrence, Kansas 66044 or Kenner Cemetery Perpetual Care Fund with envelopes available at the Vienna Office of the Birmingham-Martin Funeral Home at P.O. Box 250 Vienna, Missouri 65459.
A memorial celebration will be held at a later date in Baldwin City, Kansas.