This month we are featuring Founding Member, Jim Whitfield.

Where were you born? Petoskey, Michigan

Where did you spend your childhood years? I spent my childhood years at Walloon Lake, Michigan, nine miles from Petoskey (located on Lake Michigan) playing water and snow sports. That northern region of Michigan is four-season resort country with lots of lakes for swimming, sailing and fishing, forests for hunting, golf courses and ski resorts. I often ice skated or skied to my local elementary school two miles away on the frozen lake. In high school I played on the Petoskey golf, tennis and ski teams and managed a sailing club in the summers.  

Where did you graduate from High School? Graduated (with Marilyn Stone, best friend) from Petoskey High.

Where did you go to college? Graduated with a business degree from University of Denver and later received my Masters Degree in Education from University of Southern California.

What fields of work have you pursued? I briefly held industry jobs in Colorado, California and Grand Teton Lodge in Wyoming before enlisting in the Army (Vietnam era). After commissioning I was stationed at Fort Ord, CA and was then sent to Izmir Turkey for 3 years, then Vietnam, Germany, ROTC instructor duty at DePaul University Chicago, and the Pentagon.   

What would you like to share about your family life? In 1964 I married Diana Duke, a Denver University classmate and we had 2 sons, Mark and Scott.  I retired after 21 years in the Army and worked on government classified projects until Diana contracted cancer.  I retired again to care for her but she died in 2008.  

In 2009 I attended my Petoskey High School 50th class reunion, and there was Marilyn.  We had both lost a spouse to cancer and had a lot in common (kids, grandkids, outdoor activities, particularly skiing). We married in May, 2011 and I moved to Clayton.

What are your interests/hobbies? I am a Life member of the National Ski Patrol, a longtime member of the Presbyterian Church USA, Past President and Board Member of Clayton Valley Village and a serve as a volunteer, a member of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity, and active with the Concord First Presbyterian Church in choir and service teams.  

We love to travel (Antarctica, Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary, etc.), to ski, and to visit our combined 5 kids and 13 grandchildren.

What peeked your interest in CVV? Marilyn and I were attracted to the concept of the Village Movement in 2012 when Maria Xiaris, our neighbor, encouraged us to help her form the CVV Task Force with 5 or 6 others.  

Life is Good!