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Hello all friends of Jim Stork,
It's me, Mags Petela, Jim's sweetie for more than 30 years, with the saddening news that Jim died, gracefully and peacefully in my arms, at his home, Casa Agave, in Mexico on Sunday, June 28, 2015. He'd been diagnosed in November and treated for the past several months for a type of brain cancer called glioblastoma multiforme. The cause is always unknown and the outcome is always fatal. If you are reading this, I am sure you realize how much better and brighter your own life has been for your acquaintance with Jim. He generously shared his giant intellect, his infectious enthusiasms, his sense of humor, and his unbounding love with everyone lucky enough to cross his path. Please pause a moment to think of him and of what you gained from your relationship with this good, great, loving, giant of a man. I am the most fortunate person on earth to have had his unconditional love. He will always have mine.
MagZ
From Jim W. Stork's Class Profile:
After graduation I went to Hamline University in St. Paul and graduated with a degree in Physics. After Hamline, I went into the Army for two years and spent my time learning to ski in Colorado. I was Radar O'Reilly for an engineering company in Ft. Carson, near Colorado Springs. Thanks to my MVHS Personal Typing class for making my being a company clerk possible.
When I got out of the Army, I got a Ph.D. in Physical Oceanography from Scripps Institute of Oceanography (University of California, San Diego). I, then, taught college at Humboldt State University in California for a couple of years before starting my own computer company.
After seven years, my company kicked the bucket and I moved to San Francisco to be with Margaret Petela (Mags). Best move of my life.
We lived in Berkeley across the bay from San Francisco, and I worked in Silicon Valley until we retired in 2005, and moved to Mexico. We've been here since then and we love it. We get to do a lot of traveling, and are having a great time.
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Diane Goserud (Anderson)
Jacci C. Stahl Krebsbach
I am sad that we need to add a name to our In Memory page - Thank you Jim Stork for your guidance as editor of our yearbook and as the architect of our 50th anniversary DVD - we hope you know how much you were appreciated by your classmates!!!
Jim W. Stork
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Diane Goserud Anderson
So incredibly sorry to hear of Jim's passing. What an enormous pleasure it was to work with Jim during his brilliant production of our MVHS 50th Reunion Video...I believe that some of the best of Jim was displayed in this gift to our class...his humor, sensitivity and creativity. I was so hoping we'd see Jim and Mags at our 70th Birthday Party next year. Jim left us way to soon! Rest in Peace, Jim!
James S. Marchand
I remember Jim Stork as one of the smartest of our class at MVHS, and a guy with a gentle disposition and great sense of humor. Jim was one of my mom's 5th graders at Sunnyside way back when.
Diane Goserud (Anderson)
Melody Brumis, a good friend and coworker of Jim's, wanted to share these thoughts with his high school classmates.
An Old Doc Manager Never Dies…
He just fades away into the Mexican sunset. Or, he takes pictures of the bulls running by his home in Ajijic, Mexico. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, James (Jim) Stork died on June 28th, 2015. Jim’s obit was short and well written, and one imagines edited by Jim himself.
As one of his “countless friends” (referred to in the obit), I thought I’d share a few remembrances of my boss and friend, Jim Stork. Jim was my doc manager at SBE, an East Bay, California company. SBE was a hardware company with a dream, new networking devices. In the end, the networking devices didn’t take off, but I learned a lot working with Jim.
To start off, to work with Jim was to be his friend. He had a crew of up to five writers and spent a lot of individual time with each of us. I was the online help consultant, although like everyone else pitched in whenever and wherever needed.
I thank Jim for teaching me the following:
How to accept edits on my work with grace
Jim would read all drafts closely and mark them up in red ink. He would also discuss the edits with you in person. And, if one didn’t agree with an edit, he always welcomed a debate.
When to fight and when not
Jim often was brought into a back room to learn the latest about the products. He’d share what he could with his crew. And being the intellectual he was—he’d share when he decided to fight management’s ideas and when not. He always took time to share his thought process with us.
Who to befriend—when and how
Jim was my friend. In fact, from what I could tell, he befriended all his writers (his underlings). He had to make hard choices, including having to let people go. He did it all with finesse. We all walked away knowing we were out a job, but not a friend.
Where to go for the best photos
Jim and his partner Mags traveled the world. Some of their favorite trips were to the Grecian isles. Jim and Mags shared their trips with slide shows and great food at their Berkeley home.
How to keep in touch
When Jim and Mags moved to Mexico, Jim kept his network of friends alive by emailing out his latest photos, jokes, and political commentary. I am sure Jim was happy (whether alert or not) to hear that the Supreme Court finally legalized Gay Marriage across the country on June 26th, 2015.
And, finally, I’d like to say goodbye to Jim in my own way. The last time I saw Jim and Mags was at the Masquers Playhouse. They were spending time with Nikki Gage, a fellow writer, who had lost her husband John suddenly. (Nikki was a longtime volunteer at Masquers and you could often find her working the lights.) I wanted to keep up with Jim, Mags, and Nikki after that, but life got in the way. I know that Jim would understand.
For me, though, I’ve decided to make a priority of catching the Mexican and other sunsets. I’ll also keep up with old friends—in LinkedIn, FaceBook, Instagram, Twitter, email, and even, perhaps, a phone call—and like Jim make kindness a daily practice.
Goodbye Jim thanks for all I’ve learned from you.