James Nies
James Baines Nies was born on March 28,1920 in Riverdale, N. Y., one of three children. His father Edwin, was a dentist and Episcopalian minister, his mother Maude, a high school teacher of the deaf. Both were deaf and very involved in the deaf community in the Bronx.
Jim was an outstanding athlete and student. He had a photographic memory which helped him earn a double degree in Mechanical and Civil Engineering from Stevens Technical Institute in Hoboken, N. J. His summers were spent being a camp counselor on a lake in New Hampshire as he was certified as a life saving instructor at the age of seventeen.
Upon graduation from Stevens, Jim went to work for U. S. Rubber Co. in Naugatuck, Ct. Because of his engineering background, he was exempt from the WWII draft., but felt compelled to volunteer near the end of the war and was sent to Germany to help build vital infrastructure.
Before shipping overseas, as a 1st Lieutenant, he married Marion Strom, a Naugatuck girl and they had two sons Steve and Randy.
Upon returning from Germany, he went back to U. S. Rubber, which became Uniroyal, and resumed his engineering duties. After Uniroyal he worked at Armstrong Rubber and Tire in Norwalk but was lured away at the prospect of working for the very first riding lawnmower co. in the U. S. But they were soon bought out and he took a job as a structural engineer in Villanova Pa. But family in Ct. called and they returned to Naugatuck and Jim started his career with Harvey Hubbell, Inc. where he was project manager until he retired. He was responsible for the construction of many plants in the U. S. and Puerto Rico.
Fifty years before his passing, he started the second, and best part of his life when he met and before long married the real love of his life Jean Dunore Wilson. Jim loved the outdoors and being an Eagle Scout. He introduced Jean to hiking, camping, skiing, backpacking and any other activity that takes place outdoors. They also toured Europe and the U. S.
Because of Jean’s lifelong involvement with the Stratford Congregational Church and Jim’s childhood connection to the church; his father being an ordained minister at the age of 61, three of his uncles were Episcopalian ministers and one a bishop in Europe, Jim became an avid supporter of Jean’s church and eventually became the administrator for the yearly scholarships awarded by the church.
Jim is survived by one son Steve Nies, grandchildren Kim and Casey and great grandchild, Rylee from his first marriage. His second family Cynthia Charles and her husband Ron, their children David and wife Christine, Jeffrey and his wife Jana, and daughter Jennifer and great grandchildren Amanda, Rebecca, Lexi, Nick, Michael, Nicholas, Ryan, Emily, Matthew, Thomas and Benjamin.
A graveside service will be held on Tuesday, April 13, 2021 at 11: 00am at Union Cemetery in Stratford. In lieu of flowers, donations in James’s honor may be made to the Stratford First Congregational Church.
To offer the family online condolences please visit www. dennisanddarcy. com