Gerry W Hawes

I saw Jim at the last reunion also, and we exchanged some emails afterwards. We both shared a bond through the military and at a very trying time in its history. After graduation from Denison, I entered Air Force filght school and Jim went to Pensacola to become a Naval "Aviator", flying fighters which had the unenviable task of landing on rolling and pitching aircraft carriers, and sometimes at night. A very good man, we all agree. Wish that we had talked longer but am just glad that we did connect.

There is an old saying among the pilot crowd that goes something like this -- "To fly west, my friend, is a flight we all must take for a final checkride." I think that Jim McGeorge will do just fine.

Gerry Hawes  '62

Eliza Kennedy (Kendall)

I go way back to good old Fernway with Jim. He was a great athlete back then. Joe Hacker, HapYoung, Steve Abrams hung around with Karen Feigenbaum, Margie Griese, Molly Clark and me. Miss Finch was principal; Rick Marous, phys ed.; and Mrs. Brinker, Mr. Williams, and Mrs. Lieber(?man) 4-6th grade... The best Fernway class ever! We split that class in Jr. high between Byron and Woodbury. Great memories of Jim’s sports’ prowess at Shaker and time with Lois Ippolito, another dear friend. I caught up with Jim at the last several reunions  (and through emails and phone calls) and we reminisced over our mutual connections with Molly and Lois- Fernway to SHHS. Great memories of a great guy!

Liz Kennedy Kendall

Marjorie Griese (Evans)

I also knew Jim from our Fernway days.  It is all so clear in my memory, and we were so lucky to go to neighborhood schools.  I reconnected with Jim some years back, as part of his sales area included Lexington, KY and I live in a little town adjacent.  Had some fun dinners and reminisced about growing up in Shaker Heights.  I posted a reply today to Barry Krantz's news about Fernway School burning.  Waiting for an update.  Jim was always one of the nicest boys in our group.  My mother always commented that he had the best manners.  I am sure his mother would have liked hearing that!  Jim led a full life and will be missed

Marjorie Griese Evans

Craig Seabrook

As part of Coach Bob Rice's track team I got to know Jim & evan ran on a few relay teams with him. Yes, he was quite the athlete. I also remember Jim driving a red Plymouth Fury to high school. Glad I had a chance to say HI to Jim at our 50th reunion. 

Craig Seabrook

Howard Levine

Jim was always a great athlete.   I also remember him as having one of the first Vespa's when the law in Ohio was changed to make eligibitility age 14.

Barry H Wolinetz

For those of you who have positive memories of Jim from times long ago, I want you all to know that he was THE nicest, friendliest, most well liked person I was l associated with since we graduated from high school. He leaves a lasting legacy for his family and with a vast number of friends and aquaintances.

His obituary was posted in Sunday's ( 07.29.18) Columbus Dispatch.

" How lucky I am to have had a friend that makes saying goodbye so hard..." (A.A. Milne) 

William M Kohner

For those who want the real story of Jim’s record setting relay times, this is my recollection,

It was the West Tech Relays, 1962, a big event with City of Cleveland schools and suburban schools competing, the stands were packed.  With so many schools, the races were held in heats and the times compared. In reality, they put the fast teams (read City of Cleveland) in one heat and the suburban schools in others.

In the 440 yard relay, the team of Durian, Kohner, Taylor and McGeorge, was in the slow heat, but our time was as fast as the winning team in the fast heat but on only two of the three watches, so they gave us second place.

Seeing what had done, and seeing the same team was in the 880 yard relay, they changed the heats for the 880 and put us in the heat with, East Tech, East HIgh, Glenville, Collinwood, and John Adams.  

When we won, you heard an audible gasp from the crowd.

Both times were school records that lasted for years. .

Reed Laird Morton

As a runner, I've told and retold my impressions of Jim the athlete many times around tracks across the globe.  I envy those who had more aspects of his life to share in and enjoy.  The most recent recounting was with Bob Taylor in Phoenix this past February (Bob,  I found the baton and will forward it).  In my mind, the physical specimen was in reality bigger than the legend:  he just seemed more panther than person.

That West Tech relay victory was so righteous.  It was months in coming starting when e in January we went to East Tech High School for an indoor meet and swept 50 yard dashes over the floor wehere Jesse Owens and Harrison Dillard ran decades before.  Then, at the Mansfield relays East  Tech escaped a face to face show down because our team was in a slower heat.  Finally, at West Tech relays it was a head to head showdown  and it was a stunning unexpected win to the crowd who couldn't know what had been impending given the times Shaker had clocked.  Bob Taylor and I both remembered the  long and loud "OOOOhhhh" coming from the stands as Jim rolled past East Tech's Willie Love and brought it home for the world to seel  Overlooked was Bill Kohner's  baton pass which he completed in the zone with a chest plant hand-off that  launched dust in his wake. What a sacriffice!

The legend could put the winning broad jump out on this first try and left the competition under psychological pressure.

So, Jim lives on in many stories that runners like to boast about.  But in Jim.s case, no exaggerating required.  And from the many fond thoughts nyou all shared, the person was every bit equal to the athlete.  A lasting gift to  our memoires.

William V Smith

I tremendously enjoyed my discussion with Jim at the last reunion. I had hoped to go to Columbus to get together with McGeorge and Wolinetz and have a good long talk. Not so much about how things were, but how things are. That would have been excellent. I’m sorry I missed the opportunity. I really like Jim. 

Unlike Kohner, Morton, Seabrook, and Taylor, I didn’t run with Jim, wrong medium. But I do have definite images of him running - head up, long legs, long stride, fast, Usain Bolt like... dominant. I remember sitting in the stands on the far side of the track. It was a relay, last leg. He took the baton, and took off. I was focused on him as the frame of reference. The swarm of pursuers, who had been sort of close, flailed fruitlessly backward, sort of a moon (walk) run, as Jim disappeared.

Damn he was fast.

He seemed to race, not to beat his opponents, but to be the fastest. No psych-outs, just “ run your best...but I’ll win “.

I have an image of Jim catching a pass in the tight company of opponents, for whom it was all over.

I wonder if those who were buffeted in his wake still suffer nightmares of frustration? Running furiously, anchored, with Jim gliding rapidly toward the vanishing point, “ come on...run your fastest “.

It was fun to watch him. 

He was an excellent man.

And, he could jump!

Peter Herkner

Just learned of Jim’s passing.  Jim and I essentially grew up neighbors one street apart.  Many good times were had attending Fernway, through SHHS. I’ll Always remember zipping around on those motor scooters we had.