James Robinson Wiant ’55

Jim, cheerful and witty with a strong sense of family and friends, died Aug. 2, 2021, in hospice care at home in St. Louis. Jim’s powerful connection with friends was evidenced up to the end. Learning that his classmate and lifelong friend Jim Rubins was quite depressed at a nursing home in New York City, Jim wrote him a chatty letter every week for months. Pam Bayless, Jim Rubins’ companion of 20 years, said the letters were “a lifeline.” On July 6, Jim Wiant wrote, “This is my last letter. I’m writing to say it’s close to the end for me.” The two Jims died six days apart.

Jim was born July 22, 1933, in Newark, N.J. At Princeton he joined Tower Club and majored in biology. At Thomas Jefferson University Medical School, he was president of his junior and senior class.

He was especially affected by his experience in 1969 in Vietnam as a volunteer at Quang Tri Provincial Hospital.

Jim and his wife of 63 years, Timmie, loved tennis and travel, especially bicycle trips in Ireland, England, and New Zealand. Jim also loved to travel on his BMW motorcycle until he was 80. He and Timmie played cribbage every night after dinner and took a cribbage board on their travels.

In addition to Timmie, Jim is survived by four children, David, Anne Wiant-Rudd, Peter, and Thomas; and nine grandchildren.