James L. Jost

James L. Jost passed away on May 12, 2026, at the age of 79. A visitation will be held on June 5, 2026, at Benson Funeral Home from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with a time of sharing beginning at 6:00 p.m. A memorial service will be held at First Presbyterian Church June 6, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. with visitation one hour beforehand and lunch following. The family requests that memorials be made in lieu of flowers so they can donate to the Central Minnesota Foundation in James’ honor.

Jim was born on December 15, 1946, in St. Louis, Missouri to Elmer and Alberta Jost. He grew up in New Jersey and Kansas City before returning to St. Louis to attend Washington University, where he graduated in 1968.  After college, he went on to attend medical school at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana.

While he truly appreciated New Orleans for its food and culture, Jim always said the best thing to come out of his time there was meeting the love of his life, Mary Brand, a nursing student at LSU. Anytime he spoke of their courtship he would proudly proclaim that she made him feel like “the lucky one”.  In 1971 they were married on the campus of the leprosy hospital in Carville, Louisiana where Mary’s parents, Drs. Margaret and Paul Brand, worked as physicians. Jim loved his student rotations at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, so then was excited to finally begin the Hitchcock Surgical Residency program at Hennepin County General Hospital (known now as HCMC) in Minneapolis, Mn. After residency, in 1978, Jim joined a small surgical group, Memorial Surgical in St. Cloud, Mn which grew to become a large surgical department of CentraCare.

While Jim’s career flourished as a dedicated surgeon, his compassion for patients was what gave him the energy to work tirelessly to study and plan procedures because he knew the importance of a loved one coming home. Beyond patient care, he assumed numerous leadership responsibilities within the hospital which reflected the respect and confidence of his colleagues. He retired in 2011.

Jim and Mary had four children and over the years, their home in St. Cloud would welcome neighbors, friends and family. Even with the demands of his career, he always found ways to be present for his family. He was the family filmographer, amassing hundreds of hours of every childhood event imaginable. He lived to be a husband, father and grandfather and was excited to share all his knowledge of music, cinema, literature and history with them. Jim could respond to any situation with song lyrics or movie line. In his retirement, he loved house projects, carpentry, cooking, and baking.

Putting his attention-to-detail to work, he spent hours creating the family’s genealogy and co-wrote the book Vision for God with Mary’s mother, Dr. Margaret Brand.  He was known for thorough explanations often including detailed drawings. In fact, booklets he made to assist in the explanation of procedures to patients are still circulating today. Jim was especially known for his sense of humor. A visit with him left you wiser and full of laughs. He will be greatly missed.

He is survived by Mary, his loving wife of nearly 55 years; his children Daniel (Julie), Rachael, Stephanie (Adam), Alex (Lori); grandchildren Oliver, Eliza, Isla, Miles, and Graham. His brother, Mike (Denise); niece Lindsay; as well as cousins and many extended family.

He was preceded in death by his father, Elmer; mother, Alberta; and brother, David Jost.