James F DeClerck

I spent lovely times with Uta in Xiamen and Jimei, China. I remember Jim's warm and kind smile that Always lit up in Uta's presence, even to introduce a 24-year-old kid and new friend of Uta's. Wherever we were, even at a dinner party, Jim's eyes were with Uta and smiled when she circled back to him. Wonderful memories of great times. Your memory is a blessing.
Amanda Brown
Former Conversational English Instructor
Jimei University
Jimei, Fujian, China via New York
9/2001-6/2002

Jim is 4 years older than me so my earliest memories are when I was 5 or 6 years old and Jim was 9 or 10. We lived in a house in Rochester. We walked to school which was about a mile away. One family car, no school busses.

When I was 5, Jim and I went to downtown Rochester on a city bus to go Christmas shopping in December. When we tried to catch a bus to go home, the first bus was crowded, Jim got on but there was no more room. He said "Get the next bus". It was after dark, there were a lot of busses that went that way - east on Main St. But I couldn't read the bus signs so I started walking. I made it home a few hours later.

Jim had a BB gun and took shots at small birds in our yard. He always had an interest in target shooting, hunting, fishing, hiking and outdoor activity. As teens we traveled to Quebec annually for a few years on a fishing trip with our father and one or two friends. The last trip we went to Canada, we drove 100 miles on a dirt road to Chibougamau, took a float plane to Lake Mistassini for a week of trout fishing in north Quebec.

The family rented a cottage at Canandaigua before buying the Canandaigua property in 1952. Jim was 13, I was 9. We spent our summers hiking gulleys (gas, Clarks, Conklins, the high banks), watersking. Jim had a group of friends his age and they spent time boating, hunting, hiking and later scuba diving. Jim became a scuba instructor at the CYO with Milt Shares and Ted Zornow. They even did some winter diving under the ice.

About 5 or 6 years ago Aili and I visited Jim and Uta in CA. We took a trip out to The Joshua Tree National Park. While there we took a short hike up a trail to see some cactus up close. I brushed my elbow against a Jumping Cholla plant. Several barbed spines became attached to my arm. Luckily my ever prepared bro Jim had his Leatherman tool on his belt. He proceeded to use the pliers to pull out each of the spines.

I spent time with Jim at the cottage this year at the end of his 2 week stay in September. My son Ryan and I came to the lake to put away the Mastercraft, hoist canopy and dock. Jim sat on the beach working on scuba equipment. He had planned to dive to find the anchor chain for a mooring we had. He was active and quite healthy except for a sore knee that slowed him.

We had dinner with Jim and Uta about a week before at our house recalling good times. The elk head over the fireplace had fallen down in August. Jim recalled and told the story of the elk hunt when he shot the animal and went back with fellow hunters to pack out the animal. At least the second time over the years he told me the detailed elk hunt story.

Jim certainly loved life and his family and many friends. He also loved spending time at his special get away places at 7C, Canandaigua, and I'm sure with the CA sailing crew.

It was such a shock to hear of his sudden illness and passing. We will all miss him and love the memories he left us with. Our profound condolences go out to Uta, Kirsten, Gina, brother Larry and sister Judy and families.

Tom and Aili DeClerck

We first met Jim and Uta at an Association of Xiamen Expats when we first moved to China with Kodak in 2001. They both made us immediately welcome in our new environment. Since then we have shared many adventures in the last 20 years. Whether it be cycling in and around Xiamen or the tulip fields of Holland, cruising in the South China Sea between Xiamen and Hong Kong or navigating the canal waterways of the UK, shooting the rapids on the Colorado river or target practice at the 7C ranch Jim has always been a tremendous companion. He was blessed with an appetite for life and knowledge which was second to none. A force of nature. He will definitely be badly missed on this side of the pond.

I first met Jim in October, 1962 when we reported for active duty for training at Fort Eustis, Virginia. Following training we were assigned to the same company, 40th Transportation, Mannheim, Germany. In the picture Jim and I are standing, our commander is seated. After we left Germany we were not in touch for several years. Around 1990 we were reunited for our final active duty assignment before retirement. We were in regular contact from that time forward, phone and sharing email, jokes, etc. My last email from Jim, some jokes, was October 18. Jim was a dear friend and I will miss him terribly.

Jim and I meet via our mutual appreciation of the Jensen Healy sports cars. Many adventures were shared over the years with trips to the Desert house, car events, Las Vegas and other venues. Great times were had and the memories are bright as can be. I will miss Jim and especially his sense of humor. Jim made me laugh about so many things that were seeming lee mundane, that took a lot of wit!