Wrothwell James Sessions

W. James "Jim" Sessions died at 5:36 p.m., Nov. 19, 2009, in Morton Plant Hospital.

Jim was born Dec. 10, 1941, to Wrothwell and Mary (Fogleman) Sessions in Jamestown, N.Y. He married Janet Ann MacMillan Dec. 19, 1964, in Cedarville.

He is survived by his wife; one brother-in-law; two sisters-in-law; five nieces; one great-niece; five great-nephews; one great-great nephew and 10 cousins.

Jim graduated from Tiffin Columbian High School in 1959. He went to HeidelbergUniversity where he played on the football team and sang in the Concert Choir. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1964.

Jim started his work career at Union Carbide in Fostoria. He then went into teaching and taught at several high schools in Ohio, along with coaching football and wrestling. In 1969, he moved to Toledo and where he pursued his doctoral degree at the University of Toledo in exercise physiology, kinesiology, blood chemistry and anatomy. He also served as an assistant football coach at the university. Three years later, Jim went to Defiance, where he taught at DefianceCollege and coached football, and then went to Marietta, for another assistant football coaching job at MariettaCollege. In 1974, Jim moved to St. Paul, Minn., where he became the head football coach at HamlineUniversity and taught the subjects he learned in graduate school.

After four years, Jim left teaching and coaching and was hired at 3M in surgical products in their new orthopedics division. He then moved to Santa Barbara, Calif., to work with Bristol Myers-Squibb. For 17 years, he traveled the world selling orthopedic equipment and five more years selling tool machinery. Jim retired in 2005.

Jim was a devoted Christian and a member of the Episcopal Church in five communities: Jamestown, N.Y.; Tiffin; St. Paul, Minn.; Santa Barbara, Calif.; and Clearwater, Fla. In the latter four, he sang in the choir and served on the vestry.

He just attended his 50th high school reunion in Tiffin, this past August, where a meaningful and wonderful time was enjoyed.

He will be missed for his caring and compassionate ways, a great sense of humor, and intelligent mind. His wife, family and many friends around the globe will treasure memories of this wonderful man.

Cremation rites have been accorded. A memorial service in celebration of his life was held Saturday, December 5, 2009, at the Episcopal Church of the Good Samaritan.

 

REMEMBERING  SESH

 A Tribute by Jim "Draker" Drake, November 29, 2009

There will be a memorial service for Jim Sessions  this Saturday,  December 5^th,  2009.   I’m sorry I won’t be there.    This service,  seemingly will be the official, final, acknowledgment of a guy many of us could call a best friend.    If I could be there,  after the  last lines were read and the amen’s said ……. I’d  stand and start clapping,  hoping that others would follow,  so there would be a standing ovation complete with whistles and  hoo-ahh’s.    I’d like that for the ‘ol Coach……a Sessions Salute…….for us,  and for him.

 

I write this now,  because I am bummed out by the fact that I missed the opportunity to tell Sesh,  one more time that I loved him.   Starting in mid-October,  Jim and I began an e-mail and telephone “bookie” connection,  that I believe offered some respite for him, and me.   With the help of Janet, on the speaker phone,  we  started our own office pool,  betting on first,  the World Series (you have to know that Sesh was a huge Yankees fan) and then our own “Pick 10” (that sometimes was 15)  college football games.   He loved college football!!!

 

I’d e-mail the list of “bets” to him before each World Series game,  then call him to dicker about the wagers.   Janet was the referee.   After the Yankees won……we continued our pool with football.   Phone calls followed e-mails.   

The day before Jim passed away,  I had to go

to Atlanta.  I meant to take his phone number with me so I could call about our weekly bet.  I  forgot to take the number.   The day Jim died,  I meant to call him at 3:00pm.    I didn’t.   Then (whoops),  I remembered about 5pm CST. .     I called.   When Janet answered,  and  I asked for Sesh,  she  told me that he  had just passed on.     I missed him by about 15 minutes.

It haunts me, that  I missed one more chance to say our usual goodbye ……… “Remember Coach,  it’s fourth quarter.  I love you man.”    

The fact that Sesh willed himself to make the long, difficult trip to Ohio, and Tiffin,  for our 50^th high school reunion (at the end of August) erases any doubt about his determination and resolve.    Janet said this trip was at the top of Jim’s  ‘Bucket List.’      I wondered,  “Why?” “How bad can it be?” when I received his (be ready, an be forewarned) letter prepping  us for the visual shock of  the  Jim Sessions we would greet at the reunion.   I love him,  that he cared so much, that he would send “a scouting report.”  

I’ll always remember his effort to stand, to hug, and double hug.     The words unsaid,  were understood;  the tears and the love, real.    This was Sesh,  in the fourth quarter,  playing with passion,  going all out on every play ‘til the whistle;  not leaving anything out on the field.     I won’t forget.     And,  I won’t forget the other Jim Sessions.

 In the summer before  seventh grade,  there was this new kid,  who moved to Tiffin from Jamestown, New York.   He had a 10-speed road racing bike unlike any we’d ever seen.  He was a flyer,  with a zest for living,  at, or just above, the speed limit,  yet always in control.   He was Yogi Berry behind the plate in baseball.   Home plate was his to defend.   What should have been passed balls didn’t get passed Sesh.   He was an undersized pit bull of a lineman in football.   He never quit on a play  until  his man was on the ground.    He never took a play off.    

He was great to have as a friend.   He was always steady in the storm.   He wasn’t afraid of Mr, Daniels’  ( “Next.  Next.  Next.” in world history class).   He didn’t take advantage of  Mr Zimmerman in plane geometry.   I can’t imagine what prompted Mr. McKillip to hang my under-tall buddy from a top tier locker door?   Sesh looked you in the eye when he talked to you.  He was witty and loved a good joke.   He was fun to have at a sleep over.   He was there for you if you needed someone to lean on. 

Any mention of Jim Sessions reminds me of something good:  good parents,  good home,  good fun,  a good time,  a good story,  a good deed;  a job well done.    But the chapter in our lives that always brings (me) a  smile and a flood of memories, is the one about our Bull Farm pond hockey team.  For the most part of three winters we were the captains of the ice.   We were undefeated and untied. 

 We took on all comers including teams of other guys in town,  or from other towns;   a team from Calvert and even a team from the ‘Berg.    As I recall,  “We”  were an unlikely collection of slap shots that included  Wayne Shepherd,  Dave Pinkerton,  Victor Goldsberry,  Ralph Berger,  Warren Spencer,  and me.   And Jim Sessions!     We were all hockey.   After school.  All day Saturday.   Hot chocolate and oatmeal cookies. 

What stands out about Sesh,  is that,  here we were, “hockey guys,” and he takes the ice wearing a pair of  those (Apollo Ono) speed skates.   Eyes rolled and eyebrows raised.   Questioning looks were exchanged.   Who is this guy?     All the query stuff ended with the face off.    When the puck dropped,  Sesh  became a human wrecking ball on fast forward.   He was a one-truck demolition derby at mach-one speed.   He laughed the whole time.  He had a blast,  disrupting  and irritating our opponents to no end.   He was great.   He was Jim Sessions being Jim Sessions.   

I love you man! 

Draker  

Although Jim and I were not close friends, it always saddens me when someone I knew is taken away - It is my hope that his family knows that he is now "Home", and there will be no more suffering.

 Mike (Noftz) Chapman

Jim Sessions passed away Thursday (11/19/09) about 5:45 PM EST. 

He was at a re-hab center that specialized in the care and treatment for persons who need heart and neuromuscular care. This is a sad day for our memories of the real Jim Sessions.......the healthy, fun-loving, full of life, seize the day, never-met-a- stranger........ guy we all knew and loved. For the "Sesh" who battled a maniacal, fast-forward, rare form of Parkinson´s Disease for the past two years, it brings to an end, the

frustration, pain and suffering, he dealt with 24/7. It means we have a new angel in heaven