James L. Casterline Jr.

SILVER SPRING, MD - Dr. James Larkin "Jim" Casterline Jr., 80, of Silver Spring, Maryland, died March 13, 2012. A graveside service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 31, 2012, at St. Michael's Evangelical Lutheran Church, 400 River Road, Columbia/Lake Murray. The family will receive friends immediately following.

Jim was born December 25, 1931, in the Midlands of South Carolina and was the son of James L. "Jimmie" Casterline of Alabama, a plant superintendent with SCE&G, and Hattie Steppe Casterline of Hendersonville, North Carolina. Jim attended Irmo Grammar School and Irmo High School and eventually the S.C. School for the Deaf and Blind. Jim obtained his B.A. from Gallaudet University (1959); his M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Maryland (1982); and was credited with post-doctoral work in, among other things, pharmacology and human physiology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of California-Berkeley, University of Maryland and Cornell University. Jim was an adjunct professor of chemistry at Gallaudet University for eight years and lectured nationally on topics related to biochemistry.

Jim was a senior research biochemist for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for 38 years and was instrumental in improving employee performance management systems and worked tirelessly on Equal Employment Opportunity Commission efforts at the FDA.

After retirement, Jim continued active involvement in community organizations. Most recently, Jim had been actively involved with the Maryland Deaf Senior Citizens (MDSC) and Deaf Seniors of America 2013 Baltimore conference. Jim was a long-time member of Christ Lutheran Church of the Deaf, Silver Spring, Maryland.

Jim is survived by his wife of 50+ years, Dorothy "Dot," and son, Rex, of Irmo, South Carolina. He was predeceased by his younger son, Jonathan "Jon" of Perry Hall, Maryland. Jim considered himself blessed to be loved by wonderful daughters-in-law, Mary T. and Renae, and granddaughters, Anna, Karis and Kaleigh.

Memorials may be made to MDSC/DSA 2013 Baltimore, P.O. Box 6200, Silver Spring, MD 20916-6200. Caughman-Harman Funeral Home, Irmo/St. Andrews Chapel, is assisting the family with arrangements. www.caughmanharmanfuneralhome.net