James T. Maguire

James T. Maguire Marco Island, FL

James Thomas Maguire, 71, of Marco Island, FL, died Saturday, July 26, 2014, at Tampa General Hospital where he was awaiting heart surgery.

Jim was born Novem ber 19, 1942, in Ossining, NY to John and Anna Maguire. The family moved to Andover, NH in 1957 where Jim's dad owned a restaurant, Quimby's Diner.

Jim started college at the University of New Hampshire after high school, and then enlisted in the U.S. Army in March 1965. After initial training, he was selected to attend the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA to become an Arabic Linguist. He graduated from that schooling in October 1966, and was then selected to attend Officer Candidate School and became an Ordnance Corps officer in 1967. Jim served in Vietnam in 1968 and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his actions there.

After leaving active duty in 1969, Jim went back to college and completed his Bachelor's and Master's degrees and started work towards his PhD. Jim was a research sociologist, working with various companies and organizations over the years. He was a master at helping business and government entities with organizational development and leadership from within. He retired from civil service with the U.S. Army in 1997.

Jim was a gentleman of so many talents and interests. He loved jazz, woodworking, cooking, working with plants and flowers, and, most of all, fishing. He fished everywhere he went and loved the diverse waters from Alaska to Hawaii and California, and from New Hampshire to Florida. He taught his daughters to fish and, most recently, his six year old grandson. He made the best mango marmalade you've ever tasted, and his family and friends are going to be sorely disappointed that there are only a dozen jars left.

Jim was an activist in the interests of the rights of people here in the U.S. and around the world. He did a lot of traveling to countries around the world both for business and pleasure and immersed himself in other cultures to know the world's peoples. Jim so wanted this country to be on the right track. He was an avid reader, a critical thinker, and a problem solver. He loved to discuss the issues and was well grounded in his sense of right and wrong.

Jim will be held with love in the memories of his wife, Karen; his daughter, Allison (Kyle); his brother, John (Ellen); his cousins, Dan (Hanna) and Elaine (Jan); his grandchildren, Liam, Declan, Megan, and Fiona; and the many good friends he made along his life's journey.

A remembrance of Jim was held on Monday, August 4, 2014 at Fuller Funeral Home in Naples, FL. Jim then made one more boat ride with his wife, daughter, and brother to a favorite fishing spot off Marco Island where he will remain.