James Plessas

1931 - 2022

James Plessas
October 6, 1931 - August 27, 2022
James (Dimitri) Peter Plessas, age 90, passed away in the Mill Valley house in which he and his bride Eleanore (née Chalmers), his college sweetheart, had lived for the past 62 years. In July, Jim and Eleanore celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary. Together they have four children: Martha (Patrick) Sweeney, John (Henrietta) Plessas, Mary Plessas and Paul Plessas. Jim was also the beloved Papou of six grandchildren: Suzy, Kate, James, Toula, Sam and Tatum. He is survived by his older brother Gus (Betty) Plessas, of Sacramento, and preceded in death by his older siblings, Christina (Carl) Lamerdin (of Corte Madera) and John Plessas (of San Francisco). He was the loving uncle of fourteen nieces and nephews.
Jim and his siblings were first generation Greek Americans. Their parents, Panagiotis ("Peter") and Toula (née Kotsakis), grew up in the same Greek village of Katsibali, on the Peloponnesus. Peter and Toula emigrated to the USA separately, then married and settled in San Francisco.
Jim was San Francisco through and through – his childhood home was on Broderick St; the Marina District, Cow Hollow and the Presidio were his playground. As the baby of the family, Jim was often cared for by his sister Christina. She always held a special place in his heart. Jim remembered observing the building of the Golden Gate Bridge from his neighborhood vantage point. When not in school, he and brother Gus often worked at their father's diner, "The Texas Chili," on the Embarcadero; they witnessed the around-the-clock naval activity at those gates/docks during WWII.
Jim attended Winfield Scott Elementary School and Marina Jr High. As a 10-year-old he survived a life-threatening, months-long bout of pneumonia. He was among the first to receive the new (experimental at the time) Penicillin antibiotic. Despite the resulting damage to his lungs, Jim went on to become a SF Prep Hall-of-Famer in Track at Lowell High School (Class of 1949). Jim set a State record in the 180 Low Hurdles, and a City record – which lasted 20 years – in the Broad Jump (it remains the Lowell H.S. record). He was the only person ever to have won four 1st Place finishes in a City meet. During his Senior year, Jim served as Student Body President.
Jim became a Cal Bear in 1949, and a proud member of the Delta Upsilon Fraternity. He interrupted his college career in 1951 to enlist and serve his country during the Korean War. Jim was one of 22 men selected to train in the Air Force camp at Ohio State for the 1952 Olympics. An unfortunate accident during a training session caused severe injury and prevented Jim from attending the Olympic trials. The GI Bill enabled Jim to resume his studies at UC Berkeley and graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree. At Cal, Jim ran in multiple events to strengthen the opportunity for team victories. As the team's captain and top point-getter, he forfeited the opportunity to specialize in any one event. Jim lettered and won his BIG C in all four years he competed.
In 1961 Jim founded James Plessas, Inc., a proud member of the prestigious American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA). Jim's motto "Small On Purpose" guided his personal attention to detail with all his clients throughout the agency's 55 years. He was particularly proud of the decades-long relationships he had with many of his clients, including Berkeley Farms, California Savings & Loan, Gensler-Lee Diamonds, and Martinelli's Apple Juice & Sparkling Cider. Such client loyalty was a testament to Jim's fierce honesty, integrity and always putting the needs of the client first.
Jim was a generous contributor to and supporter of numerous community groups and causes. If you knew him, you knew he cared about people; he was always there to help a friend – or even an acquaintance.
Jim's was a success story of hard work, determination, and leadership in all he pursued. And yet, his greatest pride – his greatest love – was his family. Jim was one-of-a-kind and loved in return by many. He will be greatly missed.
A Celebration of Life will be held for Jim at Fernwood Cemetery and Funeral Home in Mill Valley on Sunday, October 9th at 11:00 am.