James (Jim) Gubbine, Sr., passed away May 28, 2018 after a short and sudden illnes at the age of 96. Jim was born in Janesville, Pennsylvania in November 1921 and was raised in Southern New Jersey where he graduated from Bridgeton High School in 1942. Following high school he served three years in the U.S. Navy during WWII. After the War he attended Utah State University where he met his future wife, Jo Swensen and they were married in 1947 in Elko, Nevada.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the spring of 1950, he accepted a teaching position at the McGill Grade School in the fall of 1950. He loved his job and teaching school for the next thirty years until his retirement.
Jim was very passionate when it came to sports. He was a decorated athlete in high school receiving all-state recognition in football, basketball and baseball and is a member of the City of Bridgton’s sports Athletic Hall of Fame. Jim was a member of Utah State’s first baseball team after the War and was a team captain . He played semi-pro baseball after college and an automobile accident prevented him from a tryout with a professional baseball team in Los Angeles. He played three games of professional football in Philadelphia. His athleticism led to a career of coaching at McGill Grade School where his basketball teams won 23 tournaments. He, at one time, coached the WPHS baseball team. He coached Pop Warner Football teams in McGill. He was a lifeguard at the McGill Swimming Pool and gave swimming lessons to numerous kids in the county. Jim was also a referee where he ref’d high school football and basketball games and umpired baseball games. More or less after retirement, he became an avid golfer.
Jim cherished and loved his family and is survived by his wife Jo of 71 years and three sons: Jim, Jr., and Lisa, (McGill), Kent (Richmond, CA) and Kim and Peggy (McGill). He is survived by five grandchildren, Kelly, Jamie, Samuel, Karolyn, and Sonny and five great-grandchildren; Siset, Dominique, Karamia, Mason and Rianna; and one brother, Abe of LaPlata, Missouri and numerous nieces and nephews, mostly in the Eastern United States.
Jim was preceded in death by his grandson, Ty Gubbine, daughter-in-law, Susan Hase Gubbine and daughter-in-law Tina Eubanks Gubbine and six sisters and four brothers.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, June 9, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. at the McGill Grade School Gymnasium.
The post James (Jim) Gubbine, Sr. appeared first on The Ely Times.