Born: February 28, 1938
Died: June 19, 2019

James L. McGiffin was born in New Jersey to Leroy Edwin and Lois Moyer McGiffin, the youngest of three children. He spent his youthful years in New Jersey.

James joined our class after Freshman year and left prior to graduation. Yale records state he was in Davenport College but no further information about his Yale connection was available.

Yale published no address for him until 2012 when our 50th Class Book listed him as residing at 135 Kent Avenue in Brooklyn, NY.

He was survived by his older brother Richard McGiffin, 4 children, Caitlin Hoffman, Aengus McGiffin, Jed McGiffin and Shoshana Gray and four grandchildren. He was predeceased by his daughter Helene McGiffin and by his sister Barbara Derry.

The short obituary notice posted by his brother states that “throughout his life James maintained a thirst for knowledge that fostered a passion for literature, poetry and music. He is remembered for his intelligence, musical talent and environmentalism.”

James passed away peacefully at his residence in Cloverdale, a small community north of Santa Rosa in Sonoma County, California. A brief obituary notice in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, the local newspaper, was not published until September 2019 almost 3 months after his death. Unfortunately no addresses were provided.

Your scribe invites classmates who remember James to submit recollections.

R. G. Oliver