Lt. Col. Donald W. James
July 29, 1940 – July 22, 2024
Lt. Col. Donald W. James (USMC Ret.) died on July 22, 2024, after a brief illness. Don was born on July 29, 1940, in Chattanooga, TN. He was brought up on Lookout Mountain, TN. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1957 and over the next 28 years earned his way through the enlisted and officer ranks, ending his career with a Pentagon posting, giving briefings for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He was deployed in Morocco, Viet Nam (42 combat months) and Central America. He retired from his beloved Corps in 1985. During his time in the Corps, Don served as an intelligence officer for many years, then as a tactical intelligence officer. He attended language school (Monterey, CA), where he learned to speak French and Vietnamese. He spent 38 weeks in a postgraduate intelligence course in 1974. He earned many citations during his service, including Bronze Star with Combat, Legion of Merit and multiple Purple Heart citations. One of his favorite memories of intelligence service was as a defense briefer during the Carter Administration. Another favorite memory was his invitation to President Ronald Reagan’s inauguration in Washington, DC, in 1981.
After retirement from the Corps, he worked for BAE Systems, a Department of Defense contractor, until retirement in 2005.
He married Lynne Murphy in Alexandria, VA, in 1986. They lived in Annandale, VA, until 2014. They bought a small house in Sun City Center in 2004 as a vacation home and moved permanently to Sun City Center in 2014.
Don was active in the SCC community as commander of the Leathernecks Club, a group of Marines who live in SCC. Don worked with Walt Cawein and the group who designed and dedicated themselves to our gorgeous Veterans Monument on the south campus. Don enjoyed his work on the committee, which planned the community’s yearly military ball, including the cake cutting ceremony in honor of the Marine Corps Birthday, a yearly tradition among all Marines.
Don and Lynne enjoyed travel with frequent trips to France to tour the vineyards in both Bordeaux and Burgundy and the wonderful restaurants in Paris and Lyon.
Don is survived by his wife, Lynne Murphy, of Sun City Center; two nieces, Suzy James, of Ft. Pierce, FL, and Merle James of Richmond, VA; several in-laws, including Nancy and Danny Sheehan, of Salisbury, MA, and Martha Ouellette of Nashua, NH. He is also survived by many friends from his years in the Marine Corps, Washington, DC, and here in Sun City Center.
No services are planned at this time. A formal military inurnment will be at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
Donations may be made in Don’s name to the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation in Triangle, VA, or Lifepath Hospice here on Upper Creek Drive, Ruskin, FL.
After retirement from the Corps, he worked for BAE Systems, a Department of Defense contractor, until retirement in 2005.
He married Lynne Murphy in Alexandria, VA, in 1986. They lived in Annandale, VA, until 2014. They bought a small house in Sun City Center in 2004 as a vacation home and moved permanently to Sun City Center in 2014.
Don was active in the SCC community as commander of the Leathernecks Club, a group of Marines who live in SCC. Don worked with Walt Cawein and the group who designed and dedicated themselves to our gorgeous Veterans Monument on the south campus. Don enjoyed his work on the committee, which planned the community’s yearly military ball, including the cake cutting ceremony in honor of the Marine Corps Birthday, a yearly tradition among all Marines.
Don and Lynne enjoyed travel with frequent trips to France to tour the vineyards in both Bordeaux and Burgundy and the wonderful restaurants in Paris and Lyon.
Don is survived by his wife, Lynne Murphy, of Sun City Center; two nieces, Suzy James, of Ft. Pierce, FL, and Merle James of Richmond, VA; several in-laws, including Nancy and Danny Sheehan, of Salisbury, MA, and Martha Ouellette of Nashua, NH. He is also survived by many friends from his years in the Marine Corps, Washington, DC, and here in Sun City Center.
No services are planned at this time. A formal military inurnment will be at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
Donations may be made in Don’s name to the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation in Triangle, VA, or Lifepath Hospice here on Upper Creek Drive, Ruskin, FL.