James McLean

1969 - 2022

James McLean

James Robert McLean of Ottawa Hills, Ohio passed away peacefully on January 2, 2022 in the early morning hours, after a six-month battle with pancreatic cancer. He took his last breath surrounded by the love of his nine closest family members. Jim was 52 years old.

Jim was born on January 8, 1969 in Livonia, Michigan, to James O. McLean and Carole (Chizmar) McLean. He spent his childhood in Plymouth, Michigan, where he and his family made lifelong friends living on Orangelawn. Their special group of families made unforgettable memories. They vacationed together every year, and Jim, along with his brother Joe and the other boys in this confluence of families, formed a tight-knit group that roamed the neighborhood in search of adventure, and remained friends until the end of Jim's life. During Jim's childhood on Orangelawn, Jim began to take an interest in music. He loved to listen to rock music, and his grandfather used to take Jim and his brother to the local K-Mart to buy KISS albums, against the will of their parents.

His later school-age years were spent in Wauseon, Ohio, adding to the list of lifelong friends. Jim was active in the youth group of Disciples of Christ Christian Church. Jim graduated from Wauseon High School in 1987. During his time in Wauseon, he began to seriously explore music, taking guitar lessons from a local friend. It was this moment in Jim's life that became his most pivotal. Jim began to play guitar, along with his brother and a few friends from church, in a band called Paradox. This was the beginning of Jim's life as a "rockstar."

Jim attended the University of Toledo, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Marketing in 1992. He was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, where he formed great friendships that he maintained during the last thirty years of his life. During these college years, Jim started playing music at open mics with a few friends, and eventually became a founding member of the Toledo band The Rivermen. Jim played rhythm guitar for The Rivermen from 1992 until just after the band released its second album in 1998. The Rivermen years were unforgettable for Jim, as the band enjoyed local fame from their Wednesday night gigs at Frankie's, to regional success playing college towns around Ohio and Indiana, and even in Chicago. It was during these band days that Jim caught the interest of a local girl who admired him from afar, asked him out on a date, and later became his wife.

Just after Jim left the band, in 1999, he married that local girl, his wife of 22 years, Rebecca Kania McLean. Jim and Rebecca began their life together in S. Toledo, where their first child, Claire, was born. Shortly thereafter, Jim and his new family moved to their first home on Grantley Rd. in W. Toledo. It was in this home that their second daughter, Emma, was born. They enjoyed block parties and late-night front yard gatherings with their neighbors turned friends. Jim and his family finally settled in Ottawa Hills, where they added even more friends to their growing list. It was there that Jim and Rebecca spent most of their life together raising their girls.

Jim enjoyed a successful 23-year career in sales. He started his professional journey as a sales representative for a local temporary labor company, Laborworks. He longed to work in the pharmaceutical industry, and so began his pharmaceutical career as a sales representative with Novartis Pharmaceuticals in 2001, just a week after his first daughter was born. He enjoyed a career with Novartis for many years, but Jim ended his career with the pharmaceutical company Amgen. Jim made many friends with both companies, all of whom showered him with love and support up through the last weeks of his life.

During his free time, Jim enjoyed many and varied hobbies, interests, and activities. People called him a renaissance man, and he was good at everything he did. He was handy around the house, and could tackle any task, from electrical work to tiling. Jim also was a renowned brewmaster. His brewing career got its initial start with his mother-in-law in 1998, but ended immediately with an undrinkable batch of beer. It wasn't until 12 years later that Jim and his brother began brewing beer together, and Jim became devoted to this new side hustle.

One of Jim's favorite activities was being active, especially outdoors. He always played sports, from high school basketball, baseball, and track to college intramural hoops and pickup games. He loved hiking and camping, and his first job out of college was working at The Canoe Shop in Waterville. He took some great hiking trips to the Red River Gorge and Isle Royale. He would tell you that his favorite hiking trip was the 10-day hiking trip, high in the Sierra Nevadas, that he took with his brother in 1996. Jim also shared his passion for hiking and camping with his family. In 2018, he formed and trained a group of six high school girls, including his daughter Emma, to complete a hiking trip in Philmont, the Boy Scout ranch in New Mexico. But after a year of intense training, the trip was canceled due to forest fires at the ranch. He was nicknamed "Lieutenant Jim," and although the trip didn't happen, the training and practice hikes, especially the one in the Red River Gorge, left an impression on this group of young women.

Although Jim enjoyed many outdoor activities, his favorites had to be running and biking. It was during runs and long biking trips that he spent quality time with his closest friends. He took long road-bike trips out to Grand Rapids, biked around the east coast, and he tackled the mountain biking trails at Oak Openings and along the Maumee River. He trained for and completed marathons and triathlons, and even completed the Wisconsin Ironman in 2012.

Jim's passing has left a hole in the hearts of many people. Family, friends, colleagues, and even people who've met Jim only a handful of times, are mourning his loss. Jim leaves behind his wife, Rebecca (Kania) McLean; and daughters, Claire and Emma; parents, Jim and Carole McLean; mother-in-law, Mary Ann Kania; brother, Joe McLean; sister-in-law, Leslie McLean; and nieces, Rachel Ashley and Tessa Ashley; brother-in-law, Sean McNulty, and nephews, Quinn McNulty and Carson McNulty; aunts and uncles, including Bill and Peggy Chizmar, the Reverends Sam and Nan Chizmar, Duane and Elaine Updyke, Louis McLean, Bill and Vaunnie Westfall, Elaine Hawkins and Jim Zantop, and David McLean. Jim was preceded in death by grandparents, Joseph and Magdalene McLean and William and Ann Chizmar; father-in-law, Roger J. Kania; sister-in-law Michele Kania McNulty; aunt, Peg Chizmar; aunt, Lisa McLean; and aunt, Beverly McLean. Jim leaves behind dozens of extended family members, especially cousins, whose hearts are broken because Jim has left this earth. Jim will be remembered as one of the kindest and funniest human beings you could ever know.

The McLean Family is grateful for the nurses and staff at Promedica Toledo Hospital and Promedica Hospice staff, all of whom took loving care of Jim at the end of his life. In addition, the family wishes to thank the Toledo Clinic Cancer Center for its valiant effort in helping Jim battle this disease.

Due to Covid, a private ceremony will be held in the upcoming weeks. A Celebration of Life party will take place in the spring. Details will be shared at a later date.

In lieu of sending flowers, please consider making a donation to Rolfe Pancreatic Cancer Foundation in Jim's memory. Details can be found at https://rolfefoundation.org/