James Pollack

1941 - 2023

James Pollack
James W. Pollack passed away on the afternoon of December 6, 2023 at Midland Hospital at the age of 82. He was born October 11, 1941 in Schenectady, New York to Anthony Pollack and Victoria Antalek Pollack. Jim's grandparents were all Slovak immigrants, and he was very proud of his Slovak heritage. Jim graduated from Mont Pleasant High School in Schenectady. Following graduation, Jim was accepted to MIT in Boston, but after the unexpected death of his father, he elected to stay closer to home and attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute of nearby Troy, NY, a decision he never regretted. At RPI he earned a B.S. in Environmental Engineering, and was the first person to receive that degree from RPI. Jim was also a member of the RPI basketball team and Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, where he made many life-long friends. During his summers off from RPI, Jim worked as a lifeguard and water safety instructor at the Schenectady YMCA's Camp Chingachgook on Lake George in upstate New York. It was there that he met his closest friend, David Robbins, then of Holliston, MA, and learned to waterski. Such was the impact that Camp Chingachgook made on Jim that he later sent his kids there as campers and staff, and was active in the camp's alumni association.
Jim subsequently earned a M.S. in Environmental Engineering from Purdue University in January 1965, where he enjoyed teaching Fluid Dynamics to undergraduates. Following graduation; he received a commission as a Second Lieutenant from the US Public Health Service as an environmental engineer assigned to the Boston regional office where he worked on efforts to clean up pollution on the Connecticut River. He stayed in the Public Health Service on inactive reserve for the next 30 years, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
Jim met Nancy Williams of Evansville, Indiana at Purdue when they were both attending as graduate students. They were set up on a blind date, and Nancy later recalled that all that she knew about Jim was that he played basketball. As an Indiana native, she figured that meant he couldn't be all bad. They were married in August 1965. While living in Newton, MA in their first apartment, Jim and Nancy were befriended by their Sicilian landlords, Ann and Mike Corsi. The Corsis frequently took the Pollacks to their vacation home in Hyannis on Cape Cod, beginning an affection for the Cape where they would return annually through the 2000s. While living in Boston, 6'7" Jim was often mistaken for Boston Celtics star player John Havlicek, which he did not mind. Once while riding the subway to work he was even approached sheepishly by three young boys who asked for his autograph. When asked what name he signed, Jim replied, "'John Havlicek', of course. I didn't want to disappoint them."
In May, 1967, Jim accepted a job with Dow Chemical and was assigned to the Walnut Creek, California research lab. A year later, Jim was transferred to Dow's home city of Midland where he was a Technical Service and Development engineer in the Environmental Control Systems group. In 1972, Jim transferred to Dow Corning as their first environmental professional. He served in several positions including corporate environmental manager, which took him to all parts of the world with Belgium and Wales among his favorite destinations. Following his retirement from Dow Corning, he joined Omni Tech International in Midland and served as an Environmental, Health, and Safety consultant where he worked closely with the United Soybean Board, which he greatly enjoyed.
Jim took pride in being a registered Professional Engineer and was elected State President of the Michigan Society of Professional Engineers by his peers in 1983. He was also active in Toastmasters International for several decades and earned many speaking honors. Though not a pilot himself, Jim was named to the Midland Barstow Airport Advisory Commission where he served as Chairman for many years. A true engineer, Jim enjoyed learning the "nuts and bolts" elements of airport operations. His early years in Schenectady, at that time a hub of locomotive manufacturing, fostered his interest in trains. Starting in childhood, Jim built a sizable collection of Lionel O-gauge trains that he treasured and maintained in perfect condition.
Growing up at the foot of the Adirondacks in New York, Jim became an excellent skier and had many winter ski adventures with his family. In the summer, Jim played golf with the Sunsetters Golf League and spent summer vacations on Cape Cod with his entire family. The Pollack family could often be spotted driving around Midland during nice weather in their 1970 Cadillac Convertible; "Big Jim" often joked that it was the only car in which he actually fit. He often volunteered for his kids' activities, including coaching his daughter's T-ball team and leading his son's Cub Scout Webelos den. Family vacations extended to Caribbean cruising in the '80s, and began to include extended and multigenerational family as his children married. In his later years, Jim re-discovered his love for tennis. He volunteered as a driver for the Dow Corning Invitational Tennis Tournament and he and Nancy hosted many players in their home over the years. Jim also enjoyed road trips with his wife in their beloved Corvette, spirited pinochle games with his extended family, and relaxing at the family cottage in Gladwin. Jim was an active member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Midland since 1968. His Catholic faith was a very important source of comfort and strength throughout his life. Jim's wife Nancy passed away in 2018 following a brief illness after almost 52 years of marriage.
When Jim met Nancy Stark, they began new adventures taking Canadian and Florida cruises, plus trips to Maine and back for visits with his sister and family. Jim was very active in the Dow Corning Retiree's Club, serving as a board member for over 20 years. In the five years he was Nancy's companion, she observed that Jim never met a stranger and was so engaging and inquisitive with everyone around him. His quick wit, true kindness, and genuine interest in others was unmatched. His expertise extended to the Michigan Garden Clubs where he lectured for classes on Environmental Science, his favorite subject. Students voted him "best lecturer." Nancy Stark survives as his devoted companion.
Jim is survived by his two children with wife Nancy, son Charles (Ginger) of Rochester Hills, MI, daughter Jill (Adrian Breeman) of Silver Spring, MD, and grandchildren, Jill's son Peter Breeman and Charlie's daughter Victoria. Also surviving are his sister, Carol (Richard) Grinnell, of Schenectady, NY and their son, Rick Grinnell and family, and his cousin Pam Dell.
Services will be held on Friday, December 15 at 10:00am for family visitation followed by Mass at 11:00am at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Midland. Smith-Miner Funeral Home will be handling funeral arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, friends may honor Jim through donations to the following organizations: Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc. Scholarship Fund at Saginaw Valley State University for the James W. Pollack Scholarship in Environmental Science, addressed to MGC Scholarship Chair, Suzanne Budrow, 9142 Hobbit Circle, Kalamazoo, MI 49009; the United Way of Midland County; and Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Midland.
Smith-Miner Funeral Home is honored to be serving the Pollack family; to share a special memory please visit www.smithminer.com.