ROGERS — Jim Kysilka might have been called a tinker in times past — a man who repairs things or invents new tools to fit a certain need. To the clients and staff of Open Avenues, he is a Christmas gift that keeps on giving, staff members said.
“I can’t tell you how much we think of Jim. He has done so much for us over the years, creating contraptions that help our clients do meaningful work,” said Brenda Neal, executive director of Open Avenues.
Open Avenues is a nonprofit organization in Rogers that offers work opportunities, instruction in daily living skills and opportunities for socialization for adults with disabilities. Instructors offer classes in simple cooking, laundry skills, money skills and other areas.
“It’s something I enjoy doing,” Kysilka said. “I’m slowing down now that I’m 85 years old and I don’t do as much as I used to, but I still keep my hand in.”
Kysilka worked as a mechanical engineer helping large industries solve problems, including 15 years with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The laboratory works on a variety of government projects, including defense, energy, science technology, engineering and nuclear weapons. Kysilka worked with physicists on several nuclear projects.
His name appears on several patents, although he never finished a college degree in engineering.
“I attended night courses at college, but I was too busy working to finish with a degree,” he said.
Originally from Fargo, N.D., when Kysilka retired he and his wife became snowbirds, spending six months in North Dakota and six months in Louisiana.
“You really never get used to the cold in North Dakota,” Kysilka said with a wink and a smile.
When it became too much to maintain both households, they decided to move to Horseshoe Bend on Beaver Lake and later purchased a house in town.
“That’s when I got involved with Open Avenues. I served on the Board of Directors for several years and began to create things that help the clients with their work,” Kysilka said.
“I was just sitting around goofing off and I figured I might as well do something useful, so I started building stuff,” he said.
The construction of tools or other elements that made the work easier just kind of happened, Kysilka said.
“I was walking through the work floor when I saw some things that could be done easier and better. So I built a few things in my shop for the clients,” Kysilka said.
Besides tools and more efficient assembly lines, he helped the clients learn new skills.
He continued to design and make machines and improve workflow for 16 years.
“I don’t know how many improvements Jim made to our organization and work area,” Neal said. “There have been so many small things that helped in such a large way, I just can’t remember them all.”
Kysilka said he didn’t really do much; that credit should go to the Open Avenues staff.
“I did some things to help, but Open Avenues is the miracle. They do such great work in helping their clients become self-sufficient and give the clients pride in their work and abilities,” Kysilka said.
“That sounds like Jim; he is the nicest, kindest person I’ve ever met. Any recognition Jim gets is well deserved. I can’t imagine what we would have done without his help over the years,” Neal said.
The Open Avenues Board of Directors is considering setting up a small area where Kysilka can move some of his scores of tools, Neal said, when Kysilka moves into an assisted living arrangement in the future.
Open Avenues was closed Tuesday for the holiday, and the workshop managers could not be reached for comment by telephone or email.