James B. Blinkoff ’63

James died March 21, 2011, at his home in Greenville, S.C., after a long struggle with diabetes.

Jim came to Princeton from Bennett High School in Buffalo. He ate and played bridge at Cloister. Following law school at Penn, Jim clerked for Justice Samuel Roberts of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, then practiced real-estate law with Fried Frank in Washington, D.C. Jim left as a partner in 1987 to be a solo practitioner in Silver Spring, Md.  

In 1989 he did what the rest of us could only dream: He took nine months off and drove all over the country. Jim retired and moved to Greenville in 2007 to be closer to family.

Jim was amazingly bright, always intellectually curious, and adhered to the punctilio of honor in all dealings, business and personal. He had an abiding interest in fairness and zealously advocated for individual liberties. Passionate about baseball, he could recite trivia flawlessly. One of his worst moments occurred when he left for Princeton and his mother threw away his Cleveland Indians baseball cards.

Jim was a true and loyal friend, and was devoted to his wife, Jeanne; his daughter, Rachel; son Andrew; and his six grandchildren. To them and to all his friends, the class extends its deepest condolences.