Dr James Peterson Shores

11/26/1933 - 4/2/2023

New London - Dr. James Peterson Shores, 89, of New London, died Sunday, April 2, at Bride Brook Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Niantic.

He was born Nov. 26, 1933, in Houston, Texas, the only child of Harry and Cora (Peterson) Shores. He attended local schools and Rice University for two years before transferring to the University of Texas, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Physics. He accepted a position at Aero Jet, a rocket and propulsion manufacturer, in Sacramento, Calif., and while there earned an Master of Science in Applied Mathematics from Sacramento State University. He returned to Houston after an offer from NASA'S Johnson Space Center where he worked for several years before transferring to a position at the Navy Underwater Sound Laboratory (now the Naval Underwater Warfare Center) in New London. He worked at the Sound Lab for 30 years, the last five in the Newport division after the New London Lab was closed. During those years he also completed an Master of Science in Computer Science from the Hartford Graduate Center and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Connecticut.

He married Carole Direnzo Lacey May 23, 1981. He proposed one month after they met, they married four months later, and celebrated their 41st anniversary last May.

Jim valued education, and taught evening courses at Eastern Connecticut State University for several years before joining the Computer Science faculty full-time after his retirement from the Lab in 1999. He retired from ECSU in 2004, when Carole also retired from teaching. His retirement days were spent enjoying his love of reading, astronomy, classical music, history, lunches with his friends from the Lab, and time with his family. He developed an interest and love of ham radio in his childhood and was a lifetime member of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) with the call letters W1ICT. He was a member of St. James Episcopal Church in New London.

The family is grateful for the excellent care Jim received from the nurses and staff at Bride Brook.

Besides his wife Carole, he is survived by stepsons, Christopher Lacey of Norwich and Thomas Lacey and his wife Erin of Greene, N.Y.; step grandchildren, Jack, Matthew, Megan, Rosic and Brogan Lacey; and a cousin, Peter Peterson of Colorado.

There are no calling hours. Funeral services will be private for the family. Memorial donations may be made to The Lord's Pantry at St. James Church, 76 Federal Street, New London, CT, 06320, which serves over 700 of our area's food insecure each month.

Condolences may be shared on James' memorial page at www.neilanfuneralhome.com.