Gaylord "Jim" James
Alton | Save
Dr. Gaylord James, Jr., known to his family and many friends as Jim, died on September 12, 2024. Jim was born April 22. 1930 in Cleveland, Ohio; his parents were Gaylord Joseph James and Erma Leonie (Taylor) James.
He graduated from Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio in 1948 and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Williams College in 1952 and a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Western Reserve University, School of Dentistry (now Case Western Reserve University, School of Dental Medicine) in 1956.
He served in the U.S. Navy at the Naval Dental Clinic in Norfolk, Virginia and as the dental officer aboard the USS Truckee (AO 147). Subsequent to his honorable discharge from the Navy, he served as a clinical associate in the Department of Dental Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic for one year, and then went into private practice.
He was appointed an assistant professor in fixed prosthodontics in 1970 at his alma mater; later attended Indiana University, School of Dentistry and earned a Certificate of Postgraduate Study in Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics. In 1979 he accepted an appointment of Associate Professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry at Southern Illinois University, School of Dental Medicine in Alton, Illinois. He retired from that position in 2003.
After retirement he volunteered in several local organizations. He was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution and was active in the local and state societies. He was a charter member of the Lewis and Clark Chapter of Madison County, Illinois, a component of the Illinois Society of the S.A.R. He served as president of that chapter from 2009 to 2011.
In 2011 he moved to Glenville, New York and served in several ministries associated with the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Glenville and volunteered at the Glendale Nursing Home. Aside from other varied interests, he was much involved in genealogy, collecting railroad artifacts, and his model train collections.
He is survived by his dear cousin Harriet (Taylor) Howard and her children: Herschel, Jr. (Joyce), Paul, Hollis, Clay (Kathleen), and William (Adele), their children and grandchildren and other cousins.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, 400 Saratoga Road, Glenville on Thursday, September 19, 2024 at 11 am. Relatives and friends may call at the church prior to the Mass from 10 am – 11 am. Burial will follow at the Gerald B. H. Solomon National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his memory to the City Mission of Schenectady or Catholic Charities of Albany. Online condolences www.glenvillefuneralhome.com.
