James A. Margolis

James Arthur Margolis (Jim) died on May 13, 2025 in White Plains, NY, at the age of 88. Described by family and friends as big-hearted, 'steady as a rock', and possessing a warm sense of humor, Jim was known for throwing himself fully into his passions, always guided by a clear sense of purpose. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Born in New York City on July 17, 1936, Jim was the eldest son of Otto Margolis and Leona Margolis (née Weiss), both of Cleveland, OH. Raised primarily in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, PA, and Teaneck, NJ, Jim loved to work from a young age. When he was 10, Jim convinced the local newspaper distributor in Pittsburgh to hire him for a paper route two years prior to the legal age (which had been raised to 12 at the conclusion of World War II). On his 16th birthday, the day he was first eligible for working papers in New Jersey, Jim got a job at the Food Fair supermarket in Teaneck, NJ, a role that sparked a lifelong love of grocery stores.

Despite Food Fair's efforts to convince him to forgo higher education and enroll in their management training program, Jim started as a freshman at Columbia College in New York City in the fall of 1954. At Columbia, Jim majored in economics, enrolled in the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), and joined the fencing team. Jim excelled as a fencer, and by his junior year, he won the 1957 NCAA individual championship in épée. Upon graduating from Columbia in 1958, Jim was commissioned as a naval officer and - after basic training - received orders to train as a fencer to represent the United States in international competitions, which he did for the remainder of his two-year naval commitment. Jim was a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic Team in Rome and represented the United States in the 1960 and 1963 Pan American Games.

As his profession, Jim sold life insurance for 40 years, primarily at Northwestern Mutual. He focused on helping individuals provide for their loved ones, small businesses plan for continuity, and families support charitable causes. He was also an active member of the School of Practical Philosophy, where he both studied and taught classes based on eastern and western philosophical traditions to help people live happier and more fulfilled lives. After his retirement, Jim ran the Brookline Food Pantry, which received 85-90 visits a week from individuals, families, and seniors in need. He also became involved in peace advocacy, marching, demonstrating, and protesting against unjust wars. In 2005, with a team from the Peace Abbey, Jim helped pull a large stone memorial 375 miles from Nagasaki to Hiroshima, Japan to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the atomic bombing at the end of the Second World War.

Jim was married twice, first to Constance Ferrell (from 1958 to 1968), with whom he has three children: step-sons Steven and Bryan Wemple and daughter Julianne Chapin. After his divorce from Constance, Jim met Angela Margolis (née Lamb) in 1970 in New York City. A native of Michigan City, North Dakota, Angela had graduated from Smith College in 1964 and was working as a drama teacher at the Fieldston School in the Bronx. Jim and Angela were married in 1973 in a backyard on West 85th Street in New York City's Upper West Side. In 1979, Jim and Angela moved to Brookline, MA, where they raised their children - Jesse, Emily, Gabe, and Carrie. Over the next 35 years, Jim and Angela were active members of the Brookline and Greater Boston communities, volunteering at their children's schools and the St. Paul's Episcopal Church, teaching mindfulness and meditation at the School of Practical Philosophy, and regularly hosting friends and family at their home on the corner of Summit Avenue and Mason Terrace. Jim and Angela retired to New York City (in the summers) and Lantana, Florida (in the winters), where Jim cared for his wife until she passed away in 2021 at the age of 78.

Jim is survived by his brother Donald; his children Steven, Bryan, Julianne, Jesse, Emily, Gabe, and Carrie; 13 grandchildren; and two great grandchildren.

His family will be sitting shiva on Saturday, May 17 from 5-8pm and Sunday, May 18, from 11am-2pm at 20 Fairway Drive, White Plains, NY.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 19, at 2pm at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, located at 15 St. Paul St, Brookline, MA.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Brookline Food Pantry or Doctors Without Borders.