A few days after Thanksgiving, I met a family who filled my heart with gratitude and joy. We shook hands and gathered around tables decorated with plaid-covered tablecloths, holly and garland in the great room of the 1929 Kannally Ranch House at Oracle State Park. A man named Mark boomed, “Over here, Mikolitis family!” to the 20 family members that joined him, asking them to gather around and give him their attention. The room grew quiet and then Mark read these words: “He laughed at absurdity. He fought cruelty. He sought beauty. He was the best of men. Who now will feed his wild quail?”
That instance gave a glimpse at the deep character of James Mikolitis—or Uncle Jimmy, as most of the family there called him. We gathered to celebrate his legacy and a place he believed in: Oracle State Park.
Oracle State Park is a 4,000-acre park, wildlife refuge, and environmental education center in the northern foothills of the Catalina Mountains. With a team of four park rangers, a dedicated volunteer force, and a caring group of benefactors and volunteers called the Friends of Oracle State Park, the park not only protects a beautiful oak grassland but also preserves the 1930s Mediterranean Revival Style ranch house on the property. The work of this park is made possible by park entry fees and donations. Jimmy’s donation is special.
It isn’t every day I get a call that someone has left a bequest to support an Arizona state park. In fact, it’s quite rare. So, when I learned that Jimmy, a former SaddleBrooke resident, included Oracle State Park in his trust, I was overcome with surprise and gratitude. We invited his family to visit the park so they could experience what Jimmy saw as a special place that deserves support.
It was fate. Jimmy’s family members would be in town from all over the country to visit his brother, Dan Mikolitis, at his home in SaddleBrooke for the holiday. They were also celebrating another joyous occasion: Dan’s 90th birthday.
Dan and Jimmy had visited Oracle State Park for a few hikes in the past, but it was Jimmy’s service in the US Army that led him to Arizona. He was stationed at Fort Huachuca; Dan served at the same time but was based in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Jimmy grew to love this state, so when Dan asked years later if he'd be interested in purchasing property together in SaddleBrooke, Jimmy didn’t hesitate.
Jimmy and Dan were originally from the Chicago area, where their eldest brother, Pete, stayed and raised his children. In fact, all of the family members I met at Oracle State Park that day were Jimmy and Dan’s nieces and nephews, in addition to Dan and his wife, Sharon. They told me of how Jimmy supported his family and the causes he cared about. Everyone knew of Jimmy’s generosity: from the nieces and nephews for whom he helped pay college tuition, to their grandmother, who lived to 103 years of age and whom Jimmy cared for, to his business partner, Larry Krucoff—the man who wrote the poem about Jimmy that Mark, Jimmy’s nephew, read at the beginning of our visit.
All 21 members of the family who were visiting joined our park manager, Sinda Sutton, for a tour of this historic ranch house. I was struck by the number of similarities between the Kannally family who built this home and the Mikolitis family: both families’ roots in Illinois, their close sibling bond, their love of art… even a statue in the Kannally garden is identical to one Jimmy owned, now at Dan’s home. Maybe Jimmy knew of these similarities all along. Or perhaps he simply saw the value in preserving this piece of southern Arizona history for generations to come, which is exactly how his gift will support Oracle State Park.
If you’ve not visited this park before, I’d like to invite you to come for a hike or for a docent-guided tour through the historic Kannally Ranch House. When you do, pay attention to the quail on the ranch house patio. They are particularly abundant here and thrive off the birdseed put out by our volunteers and park rangers. When you see their distinctive topknot feather bobbing on the adobe wall or hear the covey’s calls (which, coincidentally, is often likened to the sound “Chi-ca-go”), think of Jimmy, his generosity, and his legacy. We will feed your wild quail.
With deep gratitude to the Mikolitis family and to you, Jimmy.
Arizona State Parks and Trails manages more than 30 beautiful parks across the state, like Oracle State Park. The 4,000-acre park has more than 15 miles of trails to explore in the northern foothills of the Catalina Mountains. It also serves as a wildlife refuge and center for environmental education, and was the first designated International Dark Sky Park in the state. Arizona State Parks and Trails receives no general fund taxpayer dollars for the operations of its parks, including staffing, maintenance, and programming. To make a donation to Arizona State Parks and Trails, visit AZStateParks.com/Donate.
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