Jim was born in Dover, NJ.  He graduated from Dover High School and after one year at the University of Pennsylvania, entered the Naval Academy.  Upon graduation he entered the US Air Force with tours in Europe and the Far East as a meteorologist.  Jim left the military in 1960, obtained an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University, and then pursued a career in business.

Initially, Jim went to work for McKinsey & Company as a management consultant.  Later, he joined the International Division of Corning Glass serving in management positions in the US and Europe.  This was followed by Levy Strauss (UK) Ltd in London, whereby Jim rose to CEO in 1974.  He then moved to Paris assuming the position of Vice President of International Finance with USV, Paris, a subsidiary of Revlon.

Jim married Helen Berger of Buckinghamshire, UK in London, August 1976, where they had met on a blind date in 1974.  They lived in Paris along with Helen’s son Laurent, until 1977.  They then moved to Los Angeles where Jim joined Max Factor, and later became the COO of a health maintenance operation.  According to his close friend and attorney, John Lichman, “Jim was dedicated to his family, and took special delight in his son Nicolas.  At the same time, he made substantial contributions of his time and talent to the international trade community in Southern California, of which he was an integral part.”

Jim died on 11 November 1992 of a massive coronary in Anaheim, CA.  He is survived by his wife Helen and son Nicholas, stepson Laurent Samson, and his brother Donald.  Helen and Nicholas continue to live in Los Angeles where Helen is an artist and maintains her studio at her home.