Istarted to let others know more about James and I hope to finish that today. I said trhat James and I lived on the same block of Kentucky and were members of the Kentucky Gang! Other charter members were Dennis Chase, Ken Holtzman, Ira Klein and Arnold Surowitz (Arnold lived on Indiana but we loved him all the same).
The menbers spent a great deal of time with each other during our teen years. Sumers would find us playing softball from after breakfast till someone yelled dark (meaning it is too late to safely continue playing) the only breaks were for lunch and dinner.
I have kept some communication with James over the years and I know that he moved to Newyork to be close to his daughter and grandchild. James was one of the rare individuals who never lost his positive relationship with other people. He never spoke harshley about others nor did I ever hear someone speck negatively about him. The world has lost a true mench and he will be missed by many but not forgotten!
We both were born just prior to the Baby Boom. My spirits were always higher when he was in my homeroom. We date "back to the day" at Bagley, John J. We called Jimmy 'Jimmy' or 'James.' The other nickname 'Jim' may have been okay with him. What's in a name?
He won the school spelling bee. He never misspelled a word--from what I heard and could see. The year was 1957. He was outstanding at age eleven.
It sounds like like he was outstanding and at his best at everything he did, and he was blessed in terms of 'gifts' that he had. I was glad I knew Jimmy as a kid. I once contacted him on the Mumford'63 web site. When he wrote back to me, it was not just to be polite. I shared something from a former B.U.-ite. I learned only recently that he and his family had made the move from Boston to NYC. I bet he was at his best wherever he might be.
Joel Casman
Istarted to let others know more about James and I hope to finish that today. I said trhat James and I lived on the same block of Kentucky and were members of the Kentucky Gang! Other charter members were Dennis Chase, Ken Holtzman, Ira Klein and Arnold Surowitz (Arnold lived on Indiana but we loved him all the same).
The menbers spent a great deal of time with each other during our teen years. Sumers would find us playing softball from after breakfast till someone yelled dark (meaning it is too late to safely continue playing) the only breaks were for lunch and dinner.
I have kept some communication with James over the years and I know that he moved to Newyork to be close to his daughter and grandchild. James was one of the rare individuals who never lost his positive relationship with other people. He never spoke harshley about others nor did I ever hear someone speck negatively about him. The world has lost a true mench and he will be missed by many but not forgotten!
Joel Casman
Betty Swartz (Hirschfield)