James Elias Tempesta

James Elias Tempesta (Jim)

Corpus Christi, TX

James Elias Tempesta (Jim) passed away February 11, 2019, of natural causes. He was born February 27, 1927, to Dorinda and Lucas Tempesta in Painesville, Ohio.

The son of Italian immigrants, Jim put himself through school and graduated from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Thereafter he chose to simultaneously pursue graduate work at Tulane University (M.S.) and medicine at The National Autonomous University of Mexico (M.D). Jim met his future wife Mary while they were both students at Tulane University and after they were married he and Mary moved to Mexico City while Jim finished his medical degree. The Tempesta family moved to Brownsville, Texas for a very short time followed by stays in Houston and Seattle for his medical internship and residency in anaesthesiology. The family, now with two children, settled in Corpus Christi for Jim to practice medicine and to be near Mary's sister's family. Several years later the family moved to San Antonio, Texas where Jim retrained to specialize in ophthalmology. Jim and Mary, together with their three children, returned to Corpus Christi where Jim practiced medicine until his retirement in 1994.

Jim enjoyed the practice of ophthalmic medicine, charity medical work in Corpus Christi and the surrounding environs, viticulture, plant hybridization, reading classical history and political economics, classic movies, and a good argument.

He is recently preceded in death by his wife Mary Lois and his sister Jobyna Casey. He is survived by his sister, Evelyn Florio of Los Angeles, his children Lisa Tempesta Cox (Mark), J Tempesta (Linda), John Tempesta, and his grandson Colin (Kristina).

The Tempesta children would like to thank all of Jim's caregivers for their years of service and affection at his home and then later at Trinity Towers.

A graveside service will be held at Seaside Memorial Park in Corpus Christi, Texas at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, February 18th. The family asks in lieu of flowers, if one is so inclined, a donation be made in his memory to a church or charity of one's choice.