James Oliver Starkweather

1923 - 2021

James Oliver Starkweather
James Oliver Starkweather slipped his final mooring lines, passing away peacefully in Essex, CT on October 22, 2021, two weeks shy of his 98th birthday. He was born in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, PA on November 5, 1923, son of the late Blanche Mason Starkweather and John Kent Starkweather. He was the beloved husband of Mary "Tommy" Tompkins Starkweather, with whom he shared 70 years of marriage.
Jim grew up in Scarsdale, NY and graduated from Rye Country Day School, Deerfield Academy and Brown University. His Brown education began in the fall of 1941, just before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He described being at a classmate's family's home in Providence that Sunday afternoon in December, where "the news hit us like a ton of stone. But somehow everyone knew what was coming and what had to be done." Jim joined Brown's Naval ROTC, graduating in two and a half years as a Navy Ensign with a Mechanical Engineering degree.
Narrowly missing an assignment to a ship involved in the invasion of Europe, Jim served for a few years on a destroyer protecting the San Francisco ship channel out to the Farallon Islands. Jim also recalled patrolling endlessly offshore during the formative sessions of the United Nations in San Francisco. Following the end of the war, Jim transited the Panama Canal and visited Guantanamo Bay.
Back in New England after the war, Jim got his Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering from MIT. Before long he and his bride "Tommy" were headed to Millinocket, Maine, where he continued his career in the paper industry with a new job with Great Northern Paper Company. As Chief Engineer, he supervised construction and start-up of their large new paper mill. Millinocket in 1951 was a town "carved out of nowhere" in the remote North woods near Mount Katahdin where there were reportedly two seasons: winter and the 4th of July. It was Jim and Tommy's home for seven years, during which time the first three of their daughters were born. Jim was utterly in his element, sailing on Ambajejus Lake, hiking, skiing, exploring and shoveling vast amounts of snow!
In 1957, Jim and family moved to Old Greenwich, CT, to be closer to extended family. Jim's long career in the paper industry evolved from designing mills to focusing on energy conservation. He became active in paper industry association efforts to analyze industry energy usage and reduce dependence on foreign oil, especially after the 1973 embargo.
Jim and his family lived in Old Greenwich and Riverside for almost sixty years. There, the Starkweather family grew to include five daughters, and their busy lives blossomed. Jim led by example and the whole family soon shared his passion for his favorite sports, sailing and skiing. Jim was recruited as expert crew for all kinds of ocean-racing opportunities, including several Newport-to-Bermuda races as well as Vineyard, Block Island and Halifax races. He was an accomplished navigator, famously documented on the August 1949 cover of Yachting magazine, sextant in hand, finding his way to Bermuda. His love of sailing extended to the littlest boats, too - he thoroughly enjoyed frostbiting Dyer Dinghies and Sunfish every weekend for many decades. The family enjoyed many wonderful cruises in southern New England aboard their Cal 29, Peace & Plenty.
Jim's contributions to the Greenwich community during his nearly 60 years there were legion. A member of Riverside Yacht Club since 1960, he was active in club governance and served as Commodore in 1975-76. He also served on the RYC Board of Governors and was awarded the Trenary Trophy, the club's highest service award, in 1984. He served as a Deacon of First Congregational Church of Greenwich; Treasurer of the Greenwich Hospital Auxiliary; an elected member of the Greenwich Representative Town Meeting; a member of the Retired Men's Association; and a longtime volunteer in the national AARP/tax assistance program. Jim was rarely the loudest person in the room, but he never missed a trick either – even in his final days. His sterling reputation for loyalty, integrity and devotion to family and community were well earned.
While Jim had much to be proud of during his long life, it was his family that brought him his greatest joy. In addition to his wife Mary, Jim is survived by his beloved daughters, Anne Karfopoulos (Michael), Sarah Starkweather, Martha Altreuter (R.W. "Sam"), Julie Halloran (Todd), and Mary "Molly" Bushman (Tom). Gramps had twelve grandchildren: Dylan (Kellyann), Katharine "Katie," and Curtis Marlow; Dan (Rachel), James "Jamie" (Róisín) and Kristin Altreuter; William, Kyle, Meghan and Christina Halloran; and Charlie and Emma Bushman. He also had four great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021 at First Congregational Church of Greenwich, 108 Sound Beach Ave., Old Greenwich, CT 06870. In lieu of flowers, donations are welcomed to the First Congregational Church of Greenwich; or to the Essex Meadows Scholarship Foundation, 30 Bokum Road, Essex, CT 06426.