James D. McFarland

James D. (Jim) McFarland died in his home on November 27, 2020 in Omaha, NE due to complications following pancreatic cancer. He was 73.

Jim was born on October 4, 1947 in North Platte, NE to Dale and Dorothy Jean.  Jim grew up in North Platte was an All-Conference football and basketball player while attending North Platte High School.  He went on to play football for the University of Nebraska; receiving All Big 8 and All-American recognition.  Jim graduated from UNL with a BS in Sociology in 1970. 

Jim was the first walk-on from Nebraska drafted into the National Football League, playing five years for the St. Louis Cardinals and one year for the Miami Dolphins. 

After returning to Nebraska to teach and coach in 1976-1977, Jim McFarland’s aspirations to become a lawyer led him to Cornell Law School in Ithaca, NY.  Upon graduating in 1980, he went into private practice law in Lincoln for over 35 years, focusing on labor law and serving as a judge of the Nebraska Commission of Industrial Relations from 1993-98.  Jim also served as a state senator for Nebraska’s 28th district from 1986-1991. 

Throughout his life, Jim continued his activism and connection to football.  In 1999, he was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame.  He served on the Former NFL Player Board of Directors for six years and as one of two former players elected to the NFLPA Executive Committee that negotiated the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NFLPA and the NFL owners.  Jim was also one of 30 former player advisors on the Football Players Heath Study at Harvard Medical School.

In 2017, Jim retired his law practice and moved to Omaha, NE.  There, he obtained his Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Creighton University.

Jim enjoyed playing chess, bike riding and reading and was always active in the community by lending his time and talents to organizations such as Toastmaster’s International.

Jim’s faith in God guided him and, in addition to being active in his church community, he lived a life dedicated to service of others.  He was involved in the Prison Fellowship Ministry and was most recently a member of St. John’s Catholic Parish on the Creighton University campus in Omaha. 

Jim is survived by his wife, Kim McFarland of Omaha, NE; son, Douglas McFarland and his wife Cindy Walth of Lincoln, NE; daughter, Jamie McFarland and her husband Sam Akinrinade of New York, NY; granddaughters, Della and Nova Akinrinade; two brothers, Bob McFarland and his wife Roselyn, and Mark McFarland and his wife Marcia; along with numerous nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life Service will take place Wednesday, December 2nd at 11am.  Due to Covid-19, the service will be private but the family welcomes all to view a broadcast of the service by going to www.johnagentleman.com/obituaries and clicking on the link found within Jim McFarland’s obituary listing.  Because Jim touched so many lives, memories and messages are welcome to his Tribute Wall.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the North Platte Public School Foundation (www.nppsf.org) or Prison Fellowship (www.prisonfellowship.org).