I will never forget the beautiful wedding of Jim and Sue in oriental, nC! The first and only wedding I have attended where I was greeted with mosquito spray!! I sure was glad they had thought of everything!! It was very much needed that day. We were so glad to be a part of this very special day in their life!! Jim will be missed but he has touched and given so much to many! My love to you, Jim. Thank you for being a part of my life and for asking me to rethink my decision about leaving Duke School after one year. I was there happily for 17 years!

I am so sorry to hear of Jim’s passing. I worked as a music teacher with him at Sylvan. He always had a word of understanding and kindness for all.  

His love of boats and fishing started early! Uncle Jim and his older brother (my dad) Tom fishing when they were younger.

This picture is a favorite memory, the time we did NOT sing a duet at a family function.  Uncle Jim had great taste in music & we often broke out with snippets of songs in our conversations. Uncle Jim knew life was to be enjoyed & to be curious about (also why he was a great educator) He always inquired about thoughts & events in others lives, always genuinely interested in the story. Once he & Sue let me & a friend crash at the house the day before a race in New Bern, Uncle Jim drove us there & stayed to watch until we were finished, very enthusiastic about our accomplishment no matter how ugly it was!😊

We have all been blessed by his influence in our lives.

Uncle Jim was dedicated to helping educate students and guide communities in the pursuit of progressive educational concepts. His work was at times noble and thankless. What made him different was his ability to bring levity to serious moments; to make fun of himself and be the clown.

Sunrise from the deck.

What a wonderful days on Gypsy Soul, our 19’ Typhoon sailboat.

Our life on the water was not complete unless Jim was near a  boat, fishing in the mornings, working on or building a boat during the day, sailing when ever there was fair winds and following seas.

He loved to motor to the Bean in town for ice cream, sail to South River for a picnic lunch, go to Cape Look Out to camp, or sail to Ocracoke for a week with family.

He crewed on Charter Boats when he was 16 to buy his first dingy and it continued on from there.

Education was at the center of his life, for 42 years he was a teacher, a principal, a director and a professor, working to ensure kids were taught the way they “ought to be taught.” Whether it was hands on with projects, using critical thinking skills to solve problems or exploring their creativity, he inspired and encouraged them.  And of course he taught sailing!

He had a kind and generous soul.  He gave me a rich and love filled 24 years. I will miss him every day of my life.