James Blaine Young ’55

Blaine died Oct. 21, 2020, in Santa Fe, N.M., at age 86 just after doing his weekly food shopping. It was an appropriate closure to a life of memorable cooking, both at home and on 15 years of legendary river-rafting trips throughout the West that he organized for classmates, friends, and students.

Blaine was born Jan. 9, 1934, in Baltimore and graduated from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. At Princeton he joined Dial Lodge and majored in architecture. His senior-year roommates were Jim Lynn, Bob McCarty, Joe Hochstein, Verne McConnell, Warner Slack, and Tom Lauer.

After Princeton and marriage, he lived in New York and New Jersey. In 1970 the family took a journey into Mesoamerica, where he studied the ancient ruins. They settled in Santa Fe, where he practiced his craft of planning spaces for public and private use. His early love of lacrosse re-emerged when, for a time, Blaine coached the team at Santa Fe Prep.

Blaine is survived by daughters Jessamyn, Kelly Showell, and Rebecca; son Justin; nine grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by daughter Lisa Young, former wife Juliana (known to his college friends as Poo), and his longtime partner, Virginia Reasoner.