James R. Pollum

James R. Pollum

Died: Wednesday, October 18, 2023 at age 94.

He was the only child born May 3, 1929 in Bay City, MI to Bessie (Abbott) and Ray Pollum. He married Kathleen Maxwell on July 3, 1952 at the Presidio of Monterey, CA. They celebrated 71 years of marriage this year.

Mr. Pollum graduated from Bay City Central H.S., attended Bay City Junior College and graduated from Central Michigan University in 1951 where he earned a BA degree in Mathematics, a Teaching Certificate, and was captain of the varsity tennis team. He also earned MA, Specialist, and PhD degrees from Wayne State University during his teaching years.

He served our country during the Korean War, enlisted in the Army Security Agency, and trained to be a Russian language interpreter at the Army Language School and Prisoner of War Section at Fort Riley, Kansas. He was honorably discharged and returned to civilian life in Michigan.

He worked for many years as a mathematics teacher at Lakeview H.S. in St. Clair Shores, MI. He spent the last 20 years of his 37-year career training educators how to use computers in the school environment. He retired in 1990 and moved to the Gulf seaside in Alabama.

He and his wife lived on Perdido Bay near Pensacola until the coastal area was devastated in September 2004 by Hurricane Ivan and then again by Katrina in August, 2005. Thinking their luck may be running out, in 2006 they moved to Birmingham, AL where they purchased a home in Courtside, a swim/tennis complex. They lived there until 2009 when a family health crisis prompted a move to Wildwood, MO, a western suburb of St. Louis.

Mr. Pollum lived an active life and enjoyed many activities including swimming, woodworking, gardening, photography, playing cards, sailing and tennis. When he was 9 years old he learned to play tennis and continued playing at all team levels - high school, college, and private clubs until he was 80.

His accomplishments in the sport include winning or advancing to the finals of many city, state, and national tournaments.

Mr. Pollum is survived by his loving wife, Kathleen; son, Douglas (Sandy), two adult daughters, Kelli and Sarah (Joe), and three grandchildren, Bryan (Shannon), Andrew, and Katie (Tyler); and three great grandchildren, Jayden, Reagan, and Leo.