James Alexander Kazin Sr.

KAZIN, James (Jim) Alexander, Sr. James Alexander Kazin, Sr. passed away in Lehigh Acres, Florida on July 27, 2017 at the age of 81. He is survived by his beloved wife Mary Joan Kazin (nee Drank) and children James II (Heidi) and Gerard (Sally) along with his grandchildren Kristi Gullion (Will), James Kazin III (Danielle), Danielle, Maren, Sierra and great granddaughter Finley, and his brother Charles (Antoinette). He is preceded in death by his parents Zigmund and Mary, and his brother Colonel John Kazin (Norma), U.S. Army. Jim was born in 1936 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Coughlin High School where he played football, baseball, wrestling, and in track was the city and district champion in the javelin throw qualifying as a state finalist. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1954 and later completed Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia earning his commission as an officer in the Army Reserve. After receiving a Mechanical Engineering degree from the Pennsylvania State University, he worked primarily in the mechanical engineering and sales/marketing fields throughout his career. He began his civilian career with Babcock and Wilcox (B&W) as an engineering draftsman. He later worked for Eaton Yale & Towne, Formsprag, and Dana Corporation where he eventually became Managing Director-Dana Asia based in Tokyo, Japan. In addition to his undergraduate studies at Penn State, Jim also completed executive development courses at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. In 1979, he retired from the U.S. Army Reserve after 25 years of honorable service in the Military Police and Civil Affairs branches. He was a member of St. Raphael Catholic Church in Lehigh Acres, Florida, and he was an active member in Rotary International and the American Legion. For the last ten years Jim was an independent healthcare insurance agent serving many in Lee County. A memorial mass will be held at St. Raphael Catholic Church, 2514 Lee Boulevard, Lehigh Acres, Florida 33971 on Friday, August 4, 2017 at 10:00 am. His inurnment will be at the Sarasota National Cemetery later this Fall. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the National Kidney Foundation.