Dad,
Thank you for the lessons you taught me, always with love, maybe not always understood but always heard, the lessons that have made me the son, father, partner, friend, and man I am today and which I continue to learn from and follow to live my life in a manner of which you could be proud.
Dan and Jeremy,
I was very sad to learn of your Dad’s passing- I have fond memories of going to Franklin Pierce with you and your Dad and remember building a fort out of some refrigerator boxes in your house- he was a very creative. I remember your Dad as a very kind, intelligent, and compassionate man. He was dedicated to his community and his efforts and energies were appreciated. His work and dedication left our little place better than he found it.
You and your families will be in our thoughts during this time.
Jeremy and Dan, Our thoughts and prayers are with you. Jim was a wonderful man with so many gentle and thoughtful qualities. From the moment we met him, he was our friend. His genuine interest in learning about other cultures was amazing. He was an extraordinary man who raised two extraordinary sons. May god bless you and your wonderful families.
Love Always,
Hadi and Diane
Jeremy and Dan,
We were really sad to read about your dad’s passing. We have seen him recently and knew his health had deteriorated. Jim left his quite remarkable mark on all of us here in Chesterfield who had the privilege of knowing him and especially working with him. His intelligence, commitment, compassion, and wit were all assets that made our community a better place to live and raise our children in. We were so sad when he decided to leave Chesterfield – the community missed him. We all missed him!
It seems unreal that he is now gone. We want both of you and your families to know how sad we are.
Please accept our deepest sympathies.
Susan and Jeff Newcomer
It is with great sadness that we learned of Jim’s passing. We think of him as a special person that committed his life to leaving his mark with everyone he touched. We have many fond memories of intellectual discussions with Jim. His thoughtful intelligence always gave us a deeper insight into the current topic.
A special memory is celebrating New Year’s Eve together and arriving home to the heather that Jim would leave for his friends for the new year.
What a lovely, loving tribute to a kind and thoughtful man. My memories go back to “Yaura Yane” when you boys were just tots. Jim was always a loving father to you and good friend to many. He was there for me many times when I needed help, and always had a great story or interesting insight about just about any topic we might come up with. His friendship with my dad always made me happy. We all shared our love of books and reading. He will be missed.
Even though Jim and I had grown apart over these past years whenever I thought of him a smile would appear along with thoughts of all the fun we had exploring nature and history together. Jim was always kind to all he met and was quick to lend a hand to those in need. He will be missed by all who knew him.
Jer and Dan:
We were very sorry to hear about Jim’s passing. Let the memories sustain you in the days to come and the living reminder of his spirit is right there in the eyes of your beautiful girls. God bless and sending our love to you all!
When I think of Jim and the more than 40 years our lives intertwined in one way or another, these are the thoughts that have comforted me in the past few days and some of them may even surprise our sons, Jeremy and Dan:
Jim had a lovely singing voice although he rarely sang. The first time I heard it was on our first date. We were crossing the green at Ohio State, it started to rain, and he sang Soon it’s going to rain, I can tell it. Soon it’s going to rain, rain pell-mell…” as if it were the most natural thing to do. That’s probably when I fell in love with him.
When we used to drive from OSU in Columbus, O to visit my folks in Pennsylvania or his in New Jersey, I used to read to him. And because he could fall asleep at a drop of a hat, we used to select special books for this. The trip I read Love Story, I reached that famous death scene and line that make our kids groan somewhere on I-80 and we were both so overwhelmed, we had to pull over to finish the book. Once we were all cried out, we continued our journey.
Jim would send me flowers and buy me books instead of paying the bills.
We would sometimes visit the families of those whose special needs kids were part of his graduate studies. When Jim and the kids saw each other, a spontaneous mutual admiration society would erupt.
He was late for just about everything except the birth of his sons. He thought that they and then their daughters were the most special people in the world. There’s no doubt in my mind that his love for each of them were among his last thoughts before he died.
Give Jim a reason and he’d baked a blueberry cheesecake. But not just any blueberry cheesecake. This one began with an old family recipe shared by our friend Kerry Beverstock that required a sequential batter-beating ritual that would daunt weaker souls. Then there were the blueberries—fresh were best—spread on the baked surface just so. It’s possible that he owed his political success to those cheesecakes because we baked a lot of them when he was running for office. The crème de la crème of cheesecakes was the Christmas one with a tree of layered kiwi slices, a trunk of perfectly carved kiwi peel, and red raspberry decorations. One year we forgot to get the raspberries and I cut little red balls from geranium petals. We briefly wondered whether they might be poisonous, but Jim was running late as usual and besides, who would eat flower petals? Evidently a lot of people, including us for some strange reason, because there were few left after the party.
He taught me to love art, especially woodcuts which I’d never truly appreciated before. I taught him to love classical music. We both benefitted.
So many quotes from so many books we shared come to mind, but I can’t bring myself to choose one by anyone other than his beloved Thoreau. In A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers. Monday: Though All the Fates Should Prove Unkind Thoreau wrote, “Methinks my soul must be a bright invisible green.” Methinks Jim’s must be too.
Jer and Dan:
I am so sorry for your loss of your Dad. I only had the weekend of Jer and Melissa’s wedding to get to know your Dad but get to know him I certainly did. His steadfast and abundant love for you and his pride in his boys was so clear. He added so much to the ceremony of the wedding by his research into the histories of your family and the Jahns. Not any ordinary man was he.
My deepest sympathies to you and your families. With love,
Jen Hamilton
I am saddened to hear of Jim’s death, and wish his family comfort and closeness in their mutual loss.
I knew Jim as a school board member, while I was working in the SAU business office in Keene. Every time he came in he was gregarious, sometimes jolly, even while discussing difficult issues that required much thought and tough choices. He always acknowledged the people in our office and one could just feel that you were in the presence of a man who really cared about the important things–he was a real people person’s people person, and the children of Chesterfield and their families were well-served by his tenure on the board. Although I did not know Jim very well, I feel a real loss myself, and know that life was good when he was around.
We were saddened and shocked to hear of your Dad’s passing; our deepest sympathy to you and your family.
Our acquaintance with you parents goes back to the early 70’s when we both came to work at Keene State. Your Mom was pregnant at the time and she became our Vet. We lived on Trowbridge Rd and you both attended a few birthday parties for our daughters who are about your age. You probably don’t remember.
You are too young to have lost your Father, but it appears that he has taught you well and has left you with many, many memories to be forever cherished. To live in the hearts we’ve left behind is not to die.
As you know I’ve known your dad since you boys were babies, and I used to take care of you both. You and his graddaughters were the light of his life. Every time I saw him he would show me pictures and keep me posted on what you were up to. He will be greatly missed, but he will forever be in your hearts and the hearts of many who had the privilege of knowing him.
I had the pleasure of working with Jim on the Chesterfield Budget Committee. He was a wonderful and very genuine man that left his mark on all who met him. I am truly saddened to see that he has left this world much too soon. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this difficult time.
Jeremy, Dan, and family,
Bill and I were sad to hear of Jim’s passing. I worked with Jim for many years at NewsBank and admired his intelligence, his wit, and his love for you all. He had so many talents and interests and those of us in the UN/BPP group were thrilled every time he offered to make us one of his fabulous cheesecakes!
Our thoughts are with you.
Dee Sheldon
I am very sorry to hear of your dads passing. I also worked with your dad at NewsBank and I was one of many who got to ejnoy his wonderful cheesecakes. My sympthay and prayers are with you. Keep your memories close to your heart. He will never be forgotten!
Dear Milani Family,
I had the pleasure of working with Jim at NewsBank. Though he touched my life briefly, he touched it indelibly. My favorite memory of Jim is from a holiday party at which we were singing around a piano. He had a lovely singing voice and just embodied the spirit of the moment.
I wish you peace. Take heart in the fact that he touched so many lives in many, many ways that you may never know.
On behalf of myself Mom, Sandy LaCount and My father Ed. We send love and condolences to you both.
Your Dad was a wonderful man and although I have not seen you boys since you were very young, We have always thought of you and hoped you both were enjoying life.
I had great respect for your Dad and always thought the world of him.
Your dad and I lived on the same floor of the Steeb Hall dorm when we both attended Ohio State. The fact that I still think of him, and of some of the utterly stupid things we would do, tells you that your dad is still in the memories and lives of many people.
Dear Dan and Jeremy,
I worked with your father at Newsbank in the UN/BPP Department. He was a most interesting and kind man and was very devoted to you both. His cubicle was lined with pictures of you both and came to include wives and the grandchildren as they joined the family. I enjoyed Jim’s wit as well as his soap box commentaries which, upon completion, were ended with his remark that he was stepping down from that lofty perch. He was a wonderful co-worker and friend and provided our department with color, humor and the famous, delicious cheesecakes.
I will miss your dad and I will remember him.
My best to you both,
Gretchen McCabe
December 13th, 2011
Dad,
Thank you for the lessons you taught me, always with love, maybe not always understood but always heard, the lessons that have made me the son, father, partner, friend, and man I am today and which I continue to learn from and follow to live my life in a manner of which you could be proud.
December 13th, 2011
Dan and Jeremy,
I was very sad to learn of your Dad’s passing- I have fond memories of going to Franklin Pierce with you and your Dad and remember building a fort out of some refrigerator boxes in your house- he was a very creative. I remember your Dad as a very kind, intelligent, and compassionate man. He was dedicated to his community and his efforts and energies were appreciated. His work and dedication left our little place better than he found it.
You and your families will be in our thoughts during this time.
December 14th, 2011
Jeremy and Dan, Our thoughts and prayers are with you. Jim was a wonderful man with so many gentle and thoughtful qualities. From the moment we met him, he was our friend. His genuine interest in learning about other cultures was amazing. He was an extraordinary man who raised two extraordinary sons. May god bless you and your wonderful families.
Love Always,
Hadi and Diane
December 13th, 2011
Thank you for helping me become the man I am today and showing me the father I’d like to be.
December 13th, 2011
Jeremy and Dan,
We were really sad to read about your dad’s passing. We have seen him recently and knew his health had deteriorated. Jim left his quite remarkable mark on all of us here in Chesterfield who had the privilege of knowing him and especially working with him. His intelligence, commitment, compassion, and wit were all assets that made our community a better place to live and raise our children in. We were so sad when he decided to leave Chesterfield – the community missed him. We all missed him!
It seems unreal that he is now gone. We want both of you and your families to know how sad we are.
Please accept our deepest sympathies.
Susan and Jeff Newcomer
December 14th, 2011
It is with great sadness that we learned of Jim’s passing. We think of him as a special person that committed his life to leaving his mark with everyone he touched. We have many fond memories of intellectual discussions with Jim. His thoughtful intelligence always gave us a deeper insight into the current topic.
A special memory is celebrating New Year’s Eve together and arriving home to the heather that Jim would leave for his friends for the new year.
December 14th, 2011
What a lovely, loving tribute to a kind and thoughtful man. My memories go back to “Yaura Yane” when you boys were just tots. Jim was always a loving father to you and good friend to many. He was there for me many times when I needed help, and always had a great story or interesting insight about just about any topic we might come up with. His friendship with my dad always made me happy. We all shared our love of books and reading. He will be missed.
December 14th, 2011
Even though Jim and I had grown apart over these past years whenever I thought of him a smile would appear along with thoughts of all the fun we had exploring nature and history together. Jim was always kind to all he met and was quick to lend a hand to those in need. He will be missed by all who knew him.
December 14th, 2011
Jer and Dan:
We were very sorry to hear about Jim’s passing. Let the memories sustain you in the days to come and the living reminder of his spirit is right there in the eyes of your beautiful girls. God bless and sending our love to you all!
December 14th, 2011
When I think of Jim and the more than 40 years our lives intertwined in one way or another, these are the thoughts that have comforted me in the past few days and some of them may even surprise our sons, Jeremy and Dan:
Jim had a lovely singing voice although he rarely sang. The first time I heard it was on our first date. We were crossing the green at Ohio State, it started to rain, and he sang Soon it’s going to rain, I can tell it. Soon it’s going to rain, rain pell-mell…” as if it were the most natural thing to do. That’s probably when I fell in love with him.
When we used to drive from OSU in Columbus, O to visit my folks in Pennsylvania or his in New Jersey, I used to read to him. And because he could fall asleep at a drop of a hat, we used to select special books for this. The trip I read Love Story, I reached that famous death scene and line that make our kids groan somewhere on I-80 and we were both so overwhelmed, we had to pull over to finish the book. Once we were all cried out, we continued our journey.
Jim would send me flowers and buy me books instead of paying the bills.
We would sometimes visit the families of those whose special needs kids were part of his graduate studies. When Jim and the kids saw each other, a spontaneous mutual admiration society would erupt.
He was late for just about everything except the birth of his sons. He thought that they and then their daughters were the most special people in the world. There’s no doubt in my mind that his love for each of them were among his last thoughts before he died.
Give Jim a reason and he’d baked a blueberry cheesecake. But not just any blueberry cheesecake. This one began with an old family recipe shared by our friend Kerry Beverstock that required a sequential batter-beating ritual that would daunt weaker souls. Then there were the blueberries—fresh were best—spread on the baked surface just so. It’s possible that he owed his political success to those cheesecakes because we baked a lot of them when he was running for office. The crème de la crème of cheesecakes was the Christmas one with a tree of layered kiwi slices, a trunk of perfectly carved kiwi peel, and red raspberry decorations. One year we forgot to get the raspberries and I cut little red balls from geranium petals. We briefly wondered whether they might be poisonous, but Jim was running late as usual and besides, who would eat flower petals? Evidently a lot of people, including us for some strange reason, because there were few left after the party.
He taught me to love art, especially woodcuts which I’d never truly appreciated before. I taught him to love classical music. We both benefitted.
So many quotes from so many books we shared come to mind, but I can’t bring myself to choose one by anyone other than his beloved Thoreau. In A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers. Monday: Though All the Fates Should Prove Unkind Thoreau wrote, “Methinks my soul must be a bright invisible green.” Methinks Jim’s must be too.
December 14th, 2011
Jer, I am so sorry to hear of your Dad’s passing. My thoughts are with you, your brother and your families. This site is a wonderful tribute to him.
December 15th, 2011
I loved him as a grandfather and I will cherish his memorys forever.
December 16th, 2011
Jer and Dan:
I am so sorry for your loss of your Dad. I only had the weekend of Jer and Melissa’s wedding to get to know your Dad but get to know him I certainly did. His steadfast and abundant love for you and his pride in his boys was so clear. He added so much to the ceremony of the wedding by his research into the histories of your family and the Jahns. Not any ordinary man was he.
My deepest sympathies to you and your families. With love,
Jen Hamilton
December 20th, 2011
I am saddened to hear of Jim’s death, and wish his family comfort and closeness in their mutual loss.
I knew Jim as a school board member, while I was working in the SAU business office in Keene. Every time he came in he was gregarious, sometimes jolly, even while discussing difficult issues that required much thought and tough choices. He always acknowledged the people in our office and one could just feel that you were in the presence of a man who really cared about the important things–he was a real people person’s people person, and the children of Chesterfield and their families were well-served by his tenure on the board. Although I did not know Jim very well, I feel a real loss myself, and know that life was good when he was around.
December 22nd, 2011
Dear Jeremy and Daniel,
We were saddened and shocked to hear of your Dad’s passing; our deepest sympathy to you and your family.
Our acquaintance with you parents goes back to the early 70’s when we both came to work at Keene State. Your Mom was pregnant at the time and she became our Vet. We lived on Trowbridge Rd and you both attended a few birthday parties for our daughters who are about your age. You probably don’t remember.
You are too young to have lost your Father, but it appears that he has taught you well and has left you with many, many memories to be forever cherished. To live in the hearts we’ve left behind is not to die.
December 22nd, 2011
Dear Jeremy & Daniel,
Our deepest sympathy to you and your families.
As you know I’ve known your dad since you boys were babies, and I used to take care of you both. You and his graddaughters were the light of his life. Every time I saw him he would show me pictures and keep me posted on what you were up to. He will be greatly missed, but he will forever be in your hearts and the hearts of many who had the privilege of knowing him.
December 22nd, 2011
I had the pleasure of working with Jim on the Chesterfield Budget Committee. He was a wonderful and very genuine man that left his mark on all who met him. I am truly saddened to see that he has left this world much too soon. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this difficult time.
January 4th, 2012
Jeremy, Dan, and family,
Bill and I were sad to hear of Jim’s passing. I worked with Jim for many years at NewsBank and admired his intelligence, his wit, and his love for you all. He had so many talents and interests and those of us in the UN/BPP group were thrilled every time he offered to make us one of his fabulous cheesecakes!
Our thoughts are with you.
Dee Sheldon
January 5th, 2012
Jeremy and Dan,
I am very sorry to hear of your dads passing. I also worked with your dad at NewsBank and I was one of many who got to ejnoy his wonderful cheesecakes. My sympthay and prayers are with you. Keep your memories close to your heart. He will never be forgotten!
Lori Crawford
January 6th, 2012
Dear Milani Family,
I had the pleasure of working with Jim at NewsBank. Though he touched my life briefly, he touched it indelibly. My favorite memory of Jim is from a holiday party at which we were singing around a piano. He had a lovely singing voice and just embodied the spirit of the moment.
I wish you peace. Take heart in the fact that he touched so many lives in many, many ways that you may never know.
Sincerely,
Sandy Davern
February 7th, 2012
Dearest Milani Boys,
On behalf of myself Mom, Sandy LaCount and My father Ed. We send love and condolences to you both.
Your Dad was a wonderful man and although I have not seen you boys since you were very young, We have always thought of you and hoped you both were enjoying life.
I had great respect for your Dad and always thought the world of him.
Our love to you all,
Sharon LaCount & Family
February 29th, 2012
Your dad and I lived on the same floor of the Steeb Hall dorm when we both attended Ohio State. The fact that I still think of him, and of some of the utterly stupid things we would do, tells you that your dad is still in the memories and lives of many people.
May 21st, 2012
Dear Dan and Jeremy,
I worked with your father at Newsbank in the UN/BPP Department. He was a most interesting and kind man and was very devoted to you both. His cubicle was lined with pictures of you both and came to include wives and the grandchildren as they joined the family. I enjoyed Jim’s wit as well as his soap box commentaries which, upon completion, were ended with his remark that he was stepping down from that lofty perch. He was a wonderful co-worker and friend and provided our department with color, humor and the famous, delicious cheesecakes.
I will miss your dad and I will remember him.
My best to you both,
Gretchen McCabe