James W. Balassone ’64

Jim died May 6, 2017, of a rare pulmonary disease, PVOD, after a short hospitalization in Santa Clara, Calif.

Jim was one of our outstanding class leaders, having served as class president, Annual Giving class agent twice, Annual Giving special gifts solicitor for many years, and co-chair of our successful 50th Annual Giving campaign. He was a recipient of our class’s Jo Johnson Spirit of ’64 Award.

Jim came to Princeton from Great Neck North High School on Long Island, N.Y. He majored in economics, played soccer and rugby, and was an enthusiastic member of Cannon Club. He roomed senior year with Bradshaw, Bradford, Brant, and J. Jones.

Following Princeton, he served in the Marine Corps and earned an MBA in finance from New York University in 1972. He had a long and distinguished business career, including in sales, marketing, and business development with IBM and Hitachi, concluding as an executive-in-residence at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University.

Jim had many interests — which he pursued with passion — including Civil War history; the art of Edward Hopper; and community service, including founding Bulamu Healthcare International to provide medical services in rural Uganda.

The class extends its deepest sympathies to his family, Betsy, Merrill, Elizabeth, and James.