James B. Courtney

James B. Courtney
James B. Courtney, 93, of Hamden, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, November 18th, 2025, at the Connecticut Hospice in Branford. He was the beloved husband of Elizabeth Watts Courtney. James Bennett Courtney was born and raised in Southwest, Washington, D.C. (area) known as Foggy Bottom, on July 26th, 1932, and was the son of the late William and Margaret Johnson Courtney. He was the middle son of a family of five children: four boys and one girl. He attended an all-Black School system in Washington, better known as a separate but equal school system. James was an average student, mostly encouraged by his paternal grandmother, who raised him. From pre-kindergarten to Senior High School, Armstrong Technical High, James was educationally guided by an all-Black faculty, the same people who taught his mother and father. Jim, as he is affectionately called, learned the athletic fundamentals at the D.C. Police Boys' Club. However, it was on the D.C. playgrounds where he spent most of his evening hours and honed his athletic skills. Jim did this playing football, touch, and tackle. He also earned a spot in athletics running track and playing tennis. While running in the Championship Mile Relay, at the Penn Relays, with his teammates, the foursome scored the fastest time over the competing 154 other schools. This feat caught the eye of Dr. Leroy Walker, head track and field coach at North Carolina College for Negroes. Dr. Walker offered the four-mile relay members a full scholarship for four years. Jim began North Carolina College for Negroes in Durham, NC in 1952 and would go on to set many records, the 440-yard dash and winning throws with the javelin. He was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame and graduated with a B.S. Degree. Mr. Courtney would then serve two years in the army and was stationed in Germany. While serving in the army, he continued to participate in track and field and football. After being Honorably discharged, Mr. Courtney relocated to Connecticut in 1958. There he attended Southern Connecticut State College, (now University) where he earned a master's degree and 6th year Administrative Certification. His trek began at Connecticut Hard Rubber, to Juvenile Court Probation Officer, to Supervisor of Recreation at Troup to Biology teacher at James E. Hillhouse High School. Under the leadership of Kenneth Redmond, principal and Jerry Terozzi, Superintendent, Mr. Courtney was appointed Community Coordinator and would later serve the New Haven Board of Education in the capacity of Expulsion Officer. Highlights of Mr. Courtney's community outreach career include creating and directing the first high school Summer School, initiating, and directing the first foreign student exchange program in New Haven. He initiated the first industrial school relation program (Hillhouse-Olin), developed Hillhouse Student Government, and Spelling Bee Competition between Hillhouse and Lee High Schools. Other community programs include Summer Track meets through the New Haven Junior Chamber of Commerce. also served and was most involved with the local NAACP. He also served as the Assistant Principal at Jackie Robinson Middle School. Before the computer generation, he programmed a Radio Shack TRS80 to track student progress. This program allowed him to identify students' needs in specific learning areas, allowing the overall improvement of test scores at Jackie Robinson and Wexler Elementary School where he served as principal. Shortly after retirement from the New Haven, CT Board of Education, Mr. Courtney joined the Knickerbocker Golf Club. This club afforded him the opportunity of comradery as well as a new sporting challenge. Anything the Knickerbocker Club needed, Mr. Courtney was there to support and take charge. He immediately joined the Executive Board and typed all the past written Club meeting minutes. The goal was to bring the club up to date and enhance the over-all professionalism. Mr. Courtney's commitment to the success of the Knickerbocker Club was equal to his concern for student and athletic success. After some 20 years of competition and two ATA National Championship Titles, Jim retired from tennis. One championship title was won in San Francisco, CA and the other in Atlanta, GA. Mr. Courtney has been happily married to Elizabeth Watts Courtney, for over 40 wonderful years of partnership, traveling, and alliance. They have two successful daughters, Lajuan (Eric Anderson, husband) and Sonji Hunt-Garrison. They also have five grandchildren, Demeka Anderson, Samonie Swope, Ayahna Elizabeth Caveness, Khalia Hendrix, and Blaise Newman, and five great-grandchildren, King, Zuri, and Curaan Curry, and Lantz and Milan Hines. Mr. Courtney is also survived by many nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, and his dear sister-in-law, Jennie Watts, who was always there for him. He was predeceased by his four siblings.
James' wishes were to not have a funeral. Rather, a Celebration of his life will be held by the family and take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, P.O. Box 50, Memphis, TN 38101-9929. The Havens Family North Haven Funeral Home, 36 Washington Avenue, has been entrusted with the arrangements. www.northhavenfuneral.com