James Arthur "Jim" Hurley

HURLEY, JAMES ARTHUR "JIM" 44, of Maitland, died at home on May 26th surrounded by the love of his family. Businessman, cave diver, gourmet cook, loving son, husband, father, brother and friend, devoted BMX rider, inspired humorist, and tenacious foe of dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma. Son of Warren and Sue (Shaw) Hurley of Windermere, grandson of Arthur and Clara (Tilden) Hurley and
Lawton and Mamie (Blair) Shaw, and great-grandson of central Florida pioneers Luther Fuller and
Emily (Willis) Tilden, James deeply treasured his family heritage and loved the Florida landscape. Growing up in then-rural Windermere, he swam like a fish, climbed like a monkey, rode his BMX bike like a madman, and entertained his family endlessly and with great inspiration. He attended local schools and spoke with particular gratitude and fondness of his years at Calvary Christian School in Winter Garden. After high school, he married Mary Lou Strief of Ocoee, and their sons romped in the same yard enjoyed by their great-grandparents 100 years before. He built his HVAC skills and his business, Standard Air, over 20 years, inspired in part by a long family history of local enterprise. Standard Air was a source of personal pride and accomplishment, and he worked with remarkable dedication until days before his death. In his early 20's he became interested in diving, earning his Scuba Instructor certification in 1990 and eventually his Master Scuba Diver Trainer endorsement. After his marriage ended, his focus on diving increased, and he began studying the Florida Aquifer and acquiring extensive cave diving skills and experience. He also developed expertise in underwater photography and cartography, and in 1999 established the Extended Range Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting exploration, understanding and protection of the Aquifer. A lifetime member of the National Association for Cave Diving (NACD) and chair of the Exploration and Survey Committee from 2003-2007, James participated in the exploration and mapping of numerous underwater caves in central and North Florida including the Apopka Blue Sink, Cow Spring and Siphon, Old Bellamy Cave beneath Oleno State Park, and caves in the Suwannee and Chipola River basins. A chance encounter in the Turks and Caicos Islands with accomplished deep water explorers Mark Parrish and John Garvin led to a multi-year collaboration known as the Caicos Caves Project. Funded in part by the Turks and Caicos Department of the Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR) and National Trust, its aim is to explore and document the underwater cave systems throughout these islands. James was involved in multiple dives in Cottage Pond, a largely unexplored freshwater sinkhole in North Caicos thought to link through subterranean channels to the ocean. Results from these dives include the discovery by world-renowned biologist Dr. Tom Illiffe of an entirely new species of remipede (a three-cm long creature with a poisonous sting - dubbed "the Beautiful Sea Monster), as well as mapping the main chamber and documenting the bottom of the pond at 255 feet. James was responsible for the filming and cartography in Cottage Pond, as well as the excitement he provided with a harrowing escape from a narrow side tunnel in 2001. Married to
Karole (nee Smith) since 1996 ("my true companion"), James had a very strong and loving ally in his two-year fight with cancer. He approached his challenge like a major expedition, learning extensively about his illness and making strategic and superbly informed decisions about his treatment and the course of his remaining life. As he wrote years earlier in his Dive Instructor bio, "I believe in taking advantage of every method, attitude, skill, technology and safety option available to me to insure success". Certainly he brought all of his considerable resources to bear on his illness, and faced the insurmountable with great courage and strength. Left with heavy hearts are his wife Karole Hurley; parents Sue and Warren Hurley; former wife Mary Gleason and sons, Nathan and Parker Hurley; siblings,
Michael Hurley (Patti Pool), John Casey Hurley (Kara) and Sally
Hurley (Scott Stage); niece Lynn Pool (Rob Herzog); nephew Sam Stage and grandniece Grace
Herzog, cousins, nieces and nephews in Marietta, Georgia, devoted dog Boone and scores of friends and colleagues. The family would like to thank Dr. Jeffrey Morgan of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Dr. Joseph Boyer and Dr. Robert Reynolds of Florida Hospital and Dr. Doug Letson of Moffit Cancer Center in Tampa for their personal commitments in providing James with information and treatment at the very highest limits of modern medicine. Extending his life and preserving its quality as best you could for as long as you did means more than we can say. All are invited to a memorial celebration on Saturday, June 26 at 1:30 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Windermere. Casual attire and children welcome. We will gather at the home of his parents immediately following the service.