James “Jim” Thomas Jefferson, 75, of Huntingtown Maryland, passed away peacefully on Thursday, August 17, 2023. James was born on March 25, 1948 to the late Clarence Wesley and Florence Bessie (Austin) Jefferson of Marion, Massachusetts. He, his parents, and his five siblings lived in this small coastal town near the mouth of Buzzards Bay.
After Jim graduated from Old Rochester Regional High School, he went on to proudly serve in the United States Coast Guard. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal and Coast Guard Good Conduct Award. He was honorably discharged after six years of dedicated service as a Petty Officer Third Class (PO3/E-4).
He held many jobs throughout his life, and he was the existential “jack-of-all-trades”. He served as a crewman on the Lulu, a ship operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution that transported the Alvin (DSV-2), one of the world’s first human-manned, deep-ocean submersibles. He moved west and worked as a cattle rancher, and was documented in the Library of Congress “Cowboy” book, a unique and realistic portrait of the American cowboy. He worked for several years at Jonathans Agricultural Enterprises (formerly Jonathan Sprouts) and at the Stone Estate before settling on a career with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts D.O.T./ Massachusetts Highway. He retired in 2008 and moved to Calvert County, Maryland to live with his daughter and her family.
He was a kind and friendly man who was often seen throughout the community with his grandchildren. His entire life was heavily impacted by his love for the water. He volunteered in the US Coast Guard Auxiliary, Drum Point Flotilla, which provides trained crews to support the operation of the Coast Guard and enhance recreational boating safety.
James was predeceased by his son, Christian Paul Jefferson, his parents and many siblings – brothers Paul, Ernest, and John Jefferson and sister, Jeannie Mellor. He is survived by his daughter, Barbara “Julie” Paluda, son-in-law, Keith, and his grandchildren, Kaitlyn Alexandra and Brody Paul Paluda, of Huntingtown, MD, as well as his brother, Charles Jefferson, of Richlands, North Carolina.
Rausch Funeral Homes in Owings, MD is in charge of his arrangements. There will be a viewing on Wednesday, August 23, 2023 starting at 2:30 PM, followed by a memorial service at 4:00 PM. His body will be cremated, and ashes laid to rest at the Massachusetts National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Coast Guard Mutual Assistance (https://www.cgmahq.org).
