Jim, the former associate commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Education, died Nov. 9, 2015, at his home in Clemmons, N.C.
Jim majored in English, joined Colonial Club and was business manager of the Glee Club.
After earning a Ph.D. at Harvard in 1969, Jim was committed to education throughout his professional life. He taught high school English in Winchester and Brookline, Mass., trained teachers at Harvard Graduate School of Education, and was director of the Institute for Learning and Teaching at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. He served as the commonwealth’s director of teacher certification before rising to the associate commissioner position. Later, Jim was dean of the Empire State College campus in Hartsdale, N.Y.
He was well known for his love of camping and literature and for his beer waffles. Jim’s friends and family appreciated his independent, helpful nature and his sense of humor.
Jim is survived by his wife, Cindri; children Peter, Matthew, Jessica, Emily, and Joanna; and 13 grandchildren.