James Jervis

1936 - 2015

James Jervis
Jan. 17, 1936 - May 31, 2015
Resident of Atherton
James E. Jervis, 79, lost his two-year battle with melanoma on Sunday, May 31, 2015, passing peacefully at home in Atherton with his wife and children at his side. Jim was born in San Francisco, but grew up in Palo Alto and Menlo Park. He was a Phi Beta Kappa BSME and MBA graduate of Stanford, and an early employee of Raychem, where he held various positions over 38 years, earning numerous significant patents. After retiring from Raychem he went on to work at General Surgical Innovations, AgileTV, and Xoft.
Jim was an Eagle Scout, and much of what he learned while earning badges led to future hobbies. A former member of the Saint Francis Yacht Club, he loved to sail and counted memories of crewing on Trans Pac races close to his heart. He also took up fishing, taking trips to Patagonia, the Amazon, and the Caribbean, and every summer he brought back wild king salmon from Alaska to share with neighbors and friends. He had a full workshop for woodworking and designed and built classical Chinese furniture, but his greatest joy was crafting items for his grandchildren (Adam Jervis, Natasha Epstein, and Elliott Epstein), like a red wagon for Adam and a little kitchen for Tasha, and bedroom furniture for all.
Jim married his wife Sally in 1962. Not long after son John was born in 1966, he and Sally spent two years in England and Belgium with Raychem, returning home in 1969 in time to welcome daughter Amy (Kevin Epstein). They built their home in Atherton in 1977, where Jim filled the garden with fruit trees, camellias, and many maples. Jim leaves a sister, Julia Jervis (O.L. Kirkpatrick) of Napa, and a brother, Lloyd Denney (Cathy Denney) of Sacramento, as well as many cousins and extended family members. In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to the Stanford Cancer Institute in memory of Jim for melanoma research.