James "Jim" McClurg

James Edson (Jim) McClurg passed away on December 7th 2025 at his beloved cabin on the north end of Torch Lake in Eastport, Michigan. Jim was born in Dearborn, Michigan in 1932 and was fortunate to live a full rich life for 93 years. His early years were divided by living and attending school during the fall and winter in Dearborn and spending spring and summer at the family cabin on Torch Lake.

As a boy Jim, his twin brother Bill, and the other kids on the Torch Lake beach entertained themselves with water skis, home-made diving helmets, paddle boards, water ski jumps, and diving towers. They canoed, rowed, and sailed all over the lake, including rowing a rowboat from Eastport to Elk Rapids (31 miles). They then turned around and rowed the 31 miles back. Their antics earned them a reputation and they were invited to put on the first community water ski show.

Jim was very athletic and he enjoyed many sports throughout his life. In high school he used a bamboo pole that he had cut from a grove in Florida so that he could compete in pole vault. He loved many sports including tennis, handball, racquetball, squash, skiing, hockey and softball. His passion for sports included coaching high school swimming, tennis and diving. He enjoyed backpacking all of his adult life and instilled a love of the outdoors in his children and grandchildren.

Jim earned Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Michigan. In the 1960’s he spent a summer doing geology fieldwork in Mexico for Pemex, driving a 1945 army jeep across Mexico. He later taught the UM Geology Department’s summer field course in Boulder Colorado and later in Jackson Hole Wyoming. Jim fell in love with the West and in the early 1970’s made his home there. He spent the majority of his career at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, beginning in 1972 and retiring in 1997. Jim conducted research into the origins of coal, which included touring many of the swamps of the southeastern U.S. He published his findings and shared them with other interested researchers.

Jim enjoyed many aspects of being a college professor but his first love and true gift was teaching. Early in his career he produced and taught over 100 TV programs for both the U of M Television Station and the National Education Television (NET) Science series “Through Children’s Eyes”. He made science interesting (doing things like drinking a glass of water while upside down to prove that gravity wasn’t necessary to swallow). He received teaching awards everywhere he taught. At the University of Wyoming he won every teaching award offered, some a number of times. He was well known for his popular Introduction to Geology course, and was responsible for inspiring many students to pursue geology or science careers. After retirement he was recruited by the Wyoming Geological Survey to mentor new hires and to edit publications. Jim continued his love of teaching and was a sought after presenter, giving talks on history and geology in both Wyoming and Michigan.

He had a lifelong interest in building and woodworking. He constructed several additions to the cabin in Eastport enlarging it in order to make room for his growing family. He was eager to help anyone in need with home improvement projects. Always the teacher, he taught his children how to fix and build things.

Jim’s biggest legacy may be his grandchildren and great grandchildren, and they loved him dearly. He was never too busy to spend time with them. No request went unanswered, no matter how trivial. He spent hours in his wood shop with them, helping them create projects. He and his wife, Pat, created a sense of home for his far flung family on the shores of Torch Lake, where they gather together every summer.

Jim is survived by his wife of 53 years Patricia (Pat) Hatch McClurg; children Jon (Caroline), Tom (Susan), and Karen Sheffres (Bob); grandchildren Sam (Liza), Ryan (Taylor), Jacob, Lauren, Audrey, Michael, Jackson (Eve), Benjamin; and great grandchild Ezra. His twin brother Bill and parents Howard and Louise McClurg preceded him in death.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Torch Lake Conservation Center, https://conservetorch.org/donate/ , or Doctors Without Borders, https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/get-involved/ways-to-give .

Arrangements are in the care of the Central Lake Chapel of Mortensen Funeral Homes. Please sign his online guestbook at www.mortensenfuneralhomes.com