It’s a sordid tale……………
Not really, but Jim thought that might hook you. Otherwise, he claims his life is too dull to be of interest. Nonetheless, the Jim Smith story follows.
Jim Smith joined Rotary at the invitation of charter member Dave Patton (to whom he refers as “Captain Dave,” as a tip of the hat to his pontoon boat adventures). Never a shy guy, Jim took it upon himself to lead the club’s relentless charge toward fun. He has served as the club’s unofficial social director for a number of years. He’s introduced the club to a wide variety of what he calls fun-raisers. Texas Hold ‘Em tournaments, wine country tours, duck hunts, bus trips to Mizzou games, trivia games and group outings to Cardinal and minor league baseball games have augmented the more conventional mix of country club soirees and cocktail hours. Jim intends to pass the party light next year and has moved on to membership chair.
As a St. Louis native, Jim answers the high school question with “Chaminade, 1969.” Following graduation from UMSL in 1973, he went on to earn his law degree from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio in 1976. He served with the Public Defender’s office in the City of St. Louis for a few years and then “hung a shingle,” engaging in the private practice of law in south St. Louis. He has been counsel and administrator for the state agency that reviews ethics complaints against state judges for over 30 years.
Early in his career, he met Marilyn Koch, a staff attorney for the Missouri Court of Appeals. Little did Jim know at the time that Marilyn would become his soul mate. Jim says it wasn’t sparks at first, but Marilyn made a strategic mistake and fed him. Once you feed a stray cat, it never seems to leave. What else could he do but get to know her better?
Jim and Marilyn have been married 30 years. They are the proud parents of Brian, 26, a computer analyst at AT&T, and Brendan, 21, a junior at DePauw University. Brendan has ambitions of joining in the family trade and attending law school.
Over the years Jim was involved in the boys’ sports teams and Boy Scouts. Coach, assistant coach, scorekeeper, assistant scout master, merit badge counselor – Jim did whatever he could to lend a hand. Now that the boys are no longer in need of constant stewarding, he has more time to enjoy some of his old habits. Recently, he returned to play with the Common Gray Squirrels coed soft ball team after a 15 year hiatus taken up with kid stuff. He reports “ripping” a double down the left field line in his first at bat as a “senior squirrel.”
Jim’s other habits are wide ranging. He’s into hunting, fishing, all thing outdoors, poker, bridge, mind games, Civil War history and friendly debate on the political, social and sports page issues of the day. He and Marilyn recently bought a “tree house” at Innsbrook where they hope to spend many relaxing weekends. He promises to keep the “party light” glowing through the sunset and into the night.
