James Cloud

Cloud, James H.
James H. Cloud, a resident of Darien, passed away on Sunday, August 30, 2015 in Darien. Born on May 25, 1931 in New Jersey, he was the son of the late John Keble and Dorothy Brown Cloud. He spent his early years in Cranford and Westfield before moving to Darien, CT when he was 12. He graduated from Woodberry Forest School in Orange, VA and from Yale University in 1952.
Upon graduating from Yale, he was commissioned a Lieutenant of Artillery and served with the 278th Regiment Combat Team at Camp Drum, NY and then in Korea. He continued in the U.S. Army Reserves and eventually retired with the rank of Major.
His career on Wall Street started with Carlisle and Jacquelin and after ten years as an associate broker he became a partner in the firm. Later he became a specialist with a firm that eventually became Scavone, McKenna Cloud & Co. He was a member of the New York Stock Exchange for 50 years before it became a public corporation.
He had a lifelong interest in the outdoors and was particularly skilled in navigation, sailing, fly fishing and shooting activities. As a navigator, he participated in ten Newport-Bermuda and Marion-Bermuda races. He was an instructor in celestial navigation for the Power Squadron in Darien and Norwalk, CT. For many years he piloted his own boat "KOALA" to Maine's Penobscot Bay leading to many adventures for a single handed power boater.
For years, as a young man, he was active as a fund raiser for Ducks Unlimited and spent many seasons hunting from Maine to Maryland, of course, his home waters around the Norwalk Islands. Skeet and trap shooting were a part of winter activities his entire life.
Perhaps his greatest passion was fly fishing – both fresh and salt waters. At one time or another he tied his own flies, made his own rods and pursued fishing from Montana, New York, Alaska, Florida, New Zealand, Tasmania to Tierra Del Fuego (Argentina). Fly fishing for Tarpon and Permit was a yearly May adventure out of Key West with his favorite guide Mike Wilbur.
After retirement, he took up golf for the first time and played with great enjoyment if not skill.
He was a member of St. Luke's Episcopal Church. He was also a member of Wee Burn Country Club, the New York Yacht Club, the Juniper Club, the Buttonwood Club and the Adirondack League Club.
His first wife, Sally, died in 1974, and he married Sheilah Tilbrooke in 1976. Along with Sheilah, his son, John Cloud and his partner Roseann cared for him during his last year at home. He is also survived by his daughter, Catharine LeVasseur of Arizona and six grandchildren, Will Littlefield, Sarah Littlefield, Christian LeVasseur, Alana Cloud, Morgan Cloud and Austen Cloud. He is also survived by two nephews Thomas and Gilbert Lincoln and their wives Wendy and Coralinda.
Jim Cloud, fondly called "Jimbo" by his friends, was respected by many for his wisdom, his easy going love of life, his truthfulness and honor.
A Service will be held on Saturday, September 12, 2015 at 11:00 AM at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 1864 Post Road, Darien. Burial will follow at Spring Grove Cemetery with full Military Honors.
In lieu of flower, memorial donations may be sent to Darien EMS Post 53, P. O. Box 2066, Darien, CT 06820. www.lawrencefuneralhome.com