Thorburn, James G. Jr.

Description

James G. Thorburn

James Grieve Thorburn was born on August 6, 1913, in Massachusetts to Dorothy Nesbitt and James Grieve Thorburn In Rye his family lived at 66 Milton Road and were members of the Presbyterian Church. He graduated from Noble and Greenough School, Dedham, Mass and spent a year in France taking courses at the University of Poitiers extension in Tours. He graduated from Yale University ’35 with B.A. He was then associated with the United States Trust Company in New York City.

James served as an officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II. In 1940 he was called to active duty with the Navy, commanding a fleet minesweeper in the North Atlantic before Pearl Harbor.

During the early part of the War he was transferred to the Mediterranean and participated in the Sicily Invasion. He was then assigned to command a destroyer escort in the Pacific and participated in the Northern Solomons and New Guinea campaigns. He went on to the invasion of the Philippines, operated in Central Pacific waters and went with the first group on the invasion of Okinawa. His last station was at Norfolk, Va.
in charge of recommissioning training of destroyer crews.

James served five years in the navy in all theaters of the war. He married Mary Lou Manning on January 12, 1946, at her parents home in Sunnyridge Harrison, New York. They had three children during their marriage. James would continue his naval service through the Korean War and retire a Navy Commander July 1, 1960.

He moved to Southport, Ct and lived their for the next 28 years. He was an Emeritus graduate of Yale University, class of 1935. He served on the staff at Yale University for 15 years after his retirement from the service. He was a member of the Pequot Yacht Club & was a former member of the American Yacht Club in Rye, N.Y., He was founding member and former Rear Commodore of the Storm Trysail Club of N.Y.

James G. Thorburn, Jr., age 76, of Southport, a retired Navy Commander, died Sunday October 22, 1989, at his home in Shelton, Connecticut.

At the time of his death, survivors included his wife, Mary Lou Manning Thorburn of Southport; two sons, James M. Thorburn of Fairfield, CT & Robert S. Thorburn of Potsdam, N.Y.; a daughter, Pamela Bloch of Baltimore, Md.; two brothers, Richard M. Thorburn of England, Ronald L. Thorburn of Weathersfiled, VT.; he was also survived by three grandchildren & several nieces & nephews.