James McEnteer

1945 - 2019

MCENTEER, James May 9, 1945 July 30, 2019 "He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad." James McEnteer, journalist, wanderer, scholar and university professor died Tuesday in Los Angeles of colon cancer. He was 74. He leaves a wife, Maria Cristina Cielo, and sons, Nicolas and Joaquin, the three great loves of his life. He lived in Austin, Texas in the 1980s and continued to write on Texas politics and history throughout his prolific writing career, including the books Fighting Words: Independent Journalists in Texas and Deep in The Heart: The Texas Tendency in American Politics. Born in Greenville, Mississippi, McEnteer grew up in the Midwest and received his BA from Wesleyan University, his MA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia and his PhD in Communication from UT Austin. He began his exuberant and wide-ranging explorations of the world studying pre-Colombian cultures in Mexico, then living in and writing on Vietnam Era America in the 1960s, Southern Europe and Western Africa in the 70s, Austin, Texas and Labour-led New Zealand in the 80s and post-Martial Law Philippines in the 90s. Among other jobs, he worked lobstering in Maine, as a fruit picker in Washington, manager of the Coconut Grove Amusement Center in Monrovia, substitute caretaker in Big Sur, admissions counselor at Goddard College and psilocybin mushroom grower in northern California. He was the most beloved and fun-loving husband and father, relishing in raising his children and taking them to the waves in Mexico, California, South Africa and South America. His brilliant, hilarious, courageous and loving presence in this world will be tremendously missed. Full obituary and memorial details at tributes.com/jamesmcenteer. Live (zone 10) plants and flowers to plant in our yard may be sent to 3351 Floral Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90063, or donations may be sent to the Los Angeles Poverty Department at https://www.lapovertydept.org/donate/.