Obituary for James Craven Coulter
Jim died peacefully on March 3, 2023, at his home in Duxbury, MA. He was 91 years old. He was the
loving husband of Patricia, his beloved wife of 69 years. Father of his four children; James S and his wife
Lorinda, Douglas and his wife Maryanne, Jennifer and her husband, John Carroll, Robert and his wife
Erin. He also leaves five grandchildren, Elizabeth, Hadley, Thomas Carroll, Juliette, and Colson. Brother
of Janet, and her husband Bradshaw Langmaid, and William, and his wife, Joyce (predeceased). He also
leaves behind many nieces and nephews.
Jim attended Clinton High School (MA), graduated from Holderness School, Plymouth, NH, and Trinity
College, Hartford, CT. After service as an office in the USAF during the Korean conflict, he attended
Babson Institute and later received an MBA degree from New York University.
Jim worked for Chemical Bank, NY in its credit and electronics departments before joining IBM, Boston,
MA as a systems analyst. In 1960, he joined his brother, William (pre-deceased), to manage the
publication of the Clinton Dailey Item, Clinton, MA. During their tenure, they grew the paper by
converting its printing process from letterpress to offset, developed a weekly shopper, started a weekly
newspaper, the “West Boylston Banner” printed neighboring newspapers and short run flyers.
Jim loved athletics: basketball, football, swimming, diving, and tennis. He was on the Holderness
basketball team that won New Hampshire’s state championship in a playoff at the Boston Garden. His
wife, Patricia, a tennis pro, helped Jim become a competitive player. Socially, he and Patricia developed
many friendships with tennis and ski partners over the years. His family were members of the
Pemigewasset, NH and Vorlage, VT ski clubs, and Sippican Tennis, Marion, MA. He loved gardening,
landscaping, and nature. He and his cousin operated a lobster business fishing off Manomet Point. He
taught swimming and life saving techniques at the Eel River Beach Club in Plymouth, MA
Jim was an avid musician. His swing dixie trumpet gigs took him from the floor of The House of
Representative, Washington, DC to a casino on Bustin’s Island off Freeport, ME. He played with the
Sigma Nu Dixieland band, while attending Trinity and later at college reunions and commencement
programs. He also played with the Mamma and the Red-Hot Papas, Wellesley, MA, The Legacy Jazz
Quintet, W Boylston, MA, the Sippican Six Jazz Band, Marion, MA, Swing Dix Jazz Band, Worcester, MA,
and the Squirrel Hill Jazz Band, Concord, MA. Jim also played with his jazz bands at NE Patriots halftime
entertainment, Foxboro, MA.
A Memorial Service will be held at The Church of St. John The Evangelist, 410, Washington Street,
Duxbury, MA on April 1, 2023, at 10:30 am.
Interment will be private at Bourne National Cemetery, Bourne, MA
In Lieu of flowers, donations in Jim’s memory may be made to the charity of your choice.
Obituary lovingly written by the family of James Coulter
loving husband of Patricia, his beloved wife of 69 years. Father of his four children; James S and his wife
Lorinda, Douglas and his wife Maryanne, Jennifer and her husband, John Carroll, Robert and his wife
Erin. He also leaves five grandchildren, Elizabeth, Hadley, Thomas Carroll, Juliette, and Colson. Brother
of Janet, and her husband Bradshaw Langmaid, and William, and his wife, Joyce (predeceased). He also
leaves behind many nieces and nephews.
Jim attended Clinton High School (MA), graduated from Holderness School, Plymouth, NH, and Trinity
College, Hartford, CT. After service as an office in the USAF during the Korean conflict, he attended
Babson Institute and later received an MBA degree from New York University.
Jim worked for Chemical Bank, NY in its credit and electronics departments before joining IBM, Boston,
MA as a systems analyst. In 1960, he joined his brother, William (pre-deceased), to manage the
publication of the Clinton Dailey Item, Clinton, MA. During their tenure, they grew the paper by
converting its printing process from letterpress to offset, developed a weekly shopper, started a weekly
newspaper, the “West Boylston Banner” printed neighboring newspapers and short run flyers.
Jim loved athletics: basketball, football, swimming, diving, and tennis. He was on the Holderness
basketball team that won New Hampshire’s state championship in a playoff at the Boston Garden. His
wife, Patricia, a tennis pro, helped Jim become a competitive player. Socially, he and Patricia developed
many friendships with tennis and ski partners over the years. His family were members of the
Pemigewasset, NH and Vorlage, VT ski clubs, and Sippican Tennis, Marion, MA. He loved gardening,
landscaping, and nature. He and his cousin operated a lobster business fishing off Manomet Point. He
taught swimming and life saving techniques at the Eel River Beach Club in Plymouth, MA
Jim was an avid musician. His swing dixie trumpet gigs took him from the floor of The House of
Representative, Washington, DC to a casino on Bustin’s Island off Freeport, ME. He played with the
Sigma Nu Dixieland band, while attending Trinity and later at college reunions and commencement
programs. He also played with the Mamma and the Red-Hot Papas, Wellesley, MA, The Legacy Jazz
Quintet, W Boylston, MA, the Sippican Six Jazz Band, Marion, MA, Swing Dix Jazz Band, Worcester, MA,
and the Squirrel Hill Jazz Band, Concord, MA. Jim also played with his jazz bands at NE Patriots halftime
entertainment, Foxboro, MA.
A Memorial Service will be held at The Church of St. John The Evangelist, 410, Washington Street,
Duxbury, MA on April 1, 2023, at 10:30 am.
Interment will be private at Bourne National Cemetery, Bourne, MA
In Lieu of flowers, donations in Jim’s memory may be made to the charity of your choice.
Obituary lovingly written by the family of James Coulter