June 4, 1972 – October 15, 2025
James Louis “PeeWee” Engle was born in Tipton, and made his home in Westfield. He was a devoted husband, dad, son, brother, and friend – the steady center of a big, close family. He was courageous without show, generous without keeping score, and loyal in the way that changes people.
For two decades, PeeWee served his community with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department – work he carried with quiet pride. He began in 1993 as a correctional officer, also volunteering with the Cicero Police Department, and became a merit deputy in 1995 after graduating from the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy (Class of 1996). He served on the Honor Guard for the Sheriff’s Department and earned the United States Attorney’s Prosecution Award in 2011 among other recognitions. He met people at their best and their worst with the same respect. After 20 years of service, he retired in 2013, leaving behind a record of professionalism and a legacy of kindness.
PeeWee was most himself outside. He grew up with a glove in his hand and a love of baseball in his bones. He could cheer for the Dallas Cowboys and still root loud for his home team, the Colts. He loved the thunder and spectacle of the NHRA Drag Racing Nationals. He found peace with a fishing pole, joy hunting arrowheads and artifacts, and satisfaction in a well-kept yard. Animals had a way of finding him – and he had a soft spot for every dog that ever followed him home. Best of all, he shared those loves with his kids and his extended family, turning ordinary weekends into memories they’ll carry forever.
In recent years, PeeWee rekindled his faith and dug deep into Bible study. That quiet return shaped his days and steadied his steps. Above all, his greatest pride was his family. He is survived by his loving wife, Jennifer Engle; his children, Bradyn and Brooklyn Engle; his parents, Kathy and James Engle; and his siblings, Michelle (Jason) Sloderbeck, Travis Engle, and Natasha (Cory) Robinson. He is preceded in death by his grandparents Harold and Vetha Abbott and Geneva Engle; his cousin Matthew Butcher; and his mother-in-law Susan Swindell. He also treasured his big, tight-knit extended family – his aunts, uncles, cousins, and in-laws – who were an extremely loved and constant part of his life.
Those who knew PeeWee will remember the way he showed up – first to lend a hand, last to leave until the work was done. They’ll remember his easy smile, his bear-hug embraces, his love of the open air, and his unwavering devotion to the people he called his own.
Visitation will be from 3 to 4:45 p.m. Saturday, November 15, 2025, at Cicero Seventh-day Adventist Church, 24445 State Road 19, Cicero, followed by a Memorial Service at 5 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to First Response Wellness Foundation (frwellnessfoundation.org) or West Coast Post-Trauma Retreat (frsn.org).
Please visit the memorial page to share memories and photos of PeeWee. Your stories and pictures will be a comfort and a reminder of the joy he brought to every room and every back porch he ever stood on.
Condolences: hartleyfuneralhomes.com