PEEBLES

JAMES "JIM" DANIEL

James "Jim" Daniel Peebles of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania passed away after a long illness on June 29, 2024, at Juniper Village in Monroeville, PA.

Jim was born on December 31, 1926, in Minneapolis, Minnesota to James Hall Peebles and Ethel Capps Peebles. From a young age, he was a gifted athlete and was never one to walk anywhere slowly, earning him the nickname "Jimmer Speed-wagon," a trait he embodied throughout his life. He graduated from White Bear High School, where he'd been a star player on the basketball, football, and track teams, in 1945, and enlisted in the United States Navy where he served as a radio man in the final years of World War II. In 1952, he married his first wife, Wathene (Patricia) Mahto Peebles, with whom he had four children. After pursuing undergraduate and graduate studies at Hamline University and the University of Minnesota, he received his PhD in Education with a specialization in literacy from Syracuse University in 1969 and went on to teach at the University of North Dakota, University of Missouri-Kansas City, the University of Pittsburgh, and Shady Side Academy. In 1977, he married Patrice Caffrey, with whom he shared a daughter.

Jim lived vigorously and with enthusiasm for exploring the world as a traveler, photographer, sportsman, camper, and thinker - and we must not forget his prowess with a yo-yo. To say he was an avid reader is an understatement; he loved learning about the natural world, literature, art, politics, and history through books and read widely, a love that he shared with his students and children. His talents extended beyond the sports field and the classroom into the kitchen where he was a master bread baker and a state fair ribbon-winning jam maker. In addition to his accomplishments, Jim was a kind, gentle, progressive, and curious person with a dry sense of humor who left a lasting impression on everyone he met.

He is survived by his wife, Patrice C. Peebles; his brother, Ralph and sister, Patricia Gamble-Hovey; many nieces, nephews and cousins; his children, Peter (Barbara), Debra, Susan, James M. (Sonya), and Catherine Peebles; eight grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. A Celebration of Life will be planned for a future date. Donations may be made in his name to the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Alzheimer's Foundation of America.