Deceased June 3, 2010
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In Memory
Jim Wychgel died June 3, 2010, while visiting his sister Betsy in Naples, Fla. He had been plagued by physical problems for years, including serious lung and heart conditions. His wife, Mary, passed away in 2006, and they lost one of their sons, Scott Wychgel, in a tragic 1990 motorcycle accident. A family memorial service for Jim was held in Titusville, Pa.
Jim came to us from University School in Cleveland, majoring in biology. After Amherst, he earned an M.B.A. from Cornell. His career was mainly related to computers, first at IBM and then for many years at Jones Trucking, where he also served in a sales capacity. He retired in the early 1990s and later worked tirelessly for the Downington, Pa., School Board and other local involvements.
He is survived by his daughter, Anne White, and her husband, Timothy; his son, James N. Wychgel II; and his sister, Betsy—plus three grandchildren. Reflects Anne White, “Dad’s legacy was his generosity. His family was the most important thing to him in the world. He would do anything for them.”
That generosity and bond were symbolized by frequent family summer visits to Island 1066 in Lake Temagami, Ontario. First leased in 1927 by Jim’s father, with a cottage and boathouse, the site has been visited and loved by five Wychgel family generations. Google James Wychgel Norton to read a lovely piece about that island and its history written recently by Jim’s nephew.
Philip W. Ransom Jr. ’53