James “Jim” Paul Ratje, a loving husband, father, brother, grandfather, uncle, and friend to many, passed away peacefully at home in Mesilla, New Mexico, on October 30, 2026, at age 75, surrounded by family. He was born on September 10, 1951, in Borger, Texas, to his mother, Mary Lou Zink, and father, John Delbert Ratje. Jim spent most of his childhood in Borger, Texas. As a young man, he was interested in mechanics and engineering. He worked in his stepfather Ray Miller's machine shop from the age of 13, learning many technical skills.

Jim served his country in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War. He was stationed in Thailand as a Precision, Measurement, Equipment Laboratory Specialist working on aircraft. This ignited his passion for aviation, which he carried for the rest of his life. After his time in the service, Jim returned home and spent months exploring the United States on his motorcycle. He eventually settled in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where he met the love of his life, Mary Helen Taylor, whom he married in 1981. They had two children, Brooke and Paul, who they raised in the Mesilla Valley.

Jim was a jack-of-all-trades, having worked as a construction foreman, welder, engineer, and machinist. He worked 17 years for Physical Science Laboratory at White Sands Missile Range as an electrical engineer, working on complex instrumentation and honing his skills. He was a creative, technologically minded scientist who developed several inventions out of an entrepreneurial spirit. He could fix almost anything and was always available to help family and friends. His love of learning and adventure led to experiences such as skydiving, piloting sailplanes, supporting his friend Will Matthews’ air racing crew at the Reno Air Races, and flying to Oshkosh to experience the EAA Airshow.

Later in his career, his talents led to an opportunity with Blue Origin, where he worked on launch platforms for state-of-the-art rockets that would ferry people to space. Upon retiring, Jim didn’t stop. He loved spending time at the Las Cruces Airport, tinkering with airplane builds, managing hangars, and helping friends troubleshoot projects. He became a key figure in the airport community, developing close friendships. In recent years, he began building a new hangar to pursue his many passions and projects in retirement.

Jim is survived by his wife, Mary Helen, his daughter, Brooke Ratje Gill (husband Jesse), his son, Paul Ratje (fiancée Aracely), his brother, John (wife Margaret), his sisters, Marcia (husband Richard), Jenny (husband Tim), and Mary Kay. He leaves behind three grandchildren, Connor (partner Clara), Amelia, and Stella, and one great-granddaughter, Carolynn. He is also survived by 24 nieces and nephews. Jim is preceded in death by his parents (Lou and Del), step-parents (Ray, Mary, and Margie), his wife’s parents (Paul and Mary), brother-in-law (John), niece (Lori), and dear friends.

A celebration of life will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 19, at Picacho Peak Brewing Company. Please join us to share stories and memories of Jim.