James I. Munger, 87, passed away peacefully on Might 13th at his farm surrounded by loved ones. He was the partner of the late Carol V. Munger. Jim was born in Saginaw, Michigan to Lucius Robert and Wanda Welzien Munger. He was predeceased by his two brothers, Donald J. Munger and Edward R. Munger. Regrettably, his youthful brother Lucius J. Munger handed absent at his home in Michigan, just a number of times next Jim’s passing.
Jim grew up in Saginaw, Michigan, where by he began farming as a younger boy and formulated a like of farming and respect for the earth that would keep with him in the course of his life. In 1957, he graduated from Michigan Point out University with a bachelor’s diploma in schooling. In 1958, he began his instructing vocation in Saginaw. Jim was destined to be a lifelong learner and educator, discovering teachable times in most scenarios and conversations.
Jim fulfilled his spouse Carol in Fight Creek Michigan. They married in 1961 and drove their VW bug out to California where Jim would generate his master’s degree at Stanford College. Their to start with 3 little ones, Elizabeth, Mark, and Craig were being all born in California.
Jim proudly recalled staying existing at the very to start with Earth Day in California in 1970. This expertise impressed him to target on environmental chemistry, and he became an ambassador for h2o good quality, weather transform, and the fate of our planet. Jim pursued his PhD at College of the Pacific in Stockton. His thesis, a starting chemistry textbook, helped protected his training job as a professor at Roger Williams Faculty in 1970. So, Jim and spouse and children moved to Rhode Island and two years later their youngest daughter Sara was born. Jim taught at Roger Williams for 30 several years and helped produce the Environmental Chemistry Significant. In the course of this time, he was also instrumental in starting Coggeshall Farm residing heritage museum and a 4-H club in Bristol RI, with support from his relatives, lifelong farming cohort Sam Hall and his loved ones, and a lot of other advocates of schooling and agriculture.
Jim needed his loved ones to dwell and mature in a balanced surroundings and operate collectively, understanding initially-hand the joys of farm everyday living. In 1980, the family members moved yet again, this time to Dartmouth, MA and with Jim’s willpower, the farming adventure commenced. Together with boosting livestock, he begun rising and providing vegetables at farmers marketplaces and then expanded to improve “Mungers Mums”. Jim ongoing to evolve his farming actions, striving his hand at hydroponic tomatoes, cucumbers, raspberries, and his beloved strawberries. Jim was hardly ever frightened to dabble in one thing new, together with an energy to advertise land-based fish farming to support the fishing community in response to decreasing ocean stocks. If you frequented Stoney Meadows Farm, you would commonly discover him out in his greenhouse mixing custom made fertilizers by hand, offering plants specifically what they required. He loved to communicate and educate in the method of “visiting” with whomever came.
Jim coauthored the e-book “Good Fruits” with his father-in-law, Erston V. Miller. He appreciated studying and producing poetry and musing about his lifestyle and his romance with the land. Jim was also pretty a dancer. Polkas and waltzes had been favorites, but he would rip up the dance flooring any prospect he received, and all the females knew he could get them from the sidelines and give them a twirl or two.
Jim was incredibly associated in Dartmouth, Westport, and encompassing communities with a concentration on advocating for farmers and advertising education and learning as a result of agriculture. He was a founding member of the Coastal Growers Co-operative. He also was an active member of the Dartmouth Grange and relished becoming associated with SEMAP, Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom, Bristol County Farm Bureau, Dartmouth Agricultural Commission, DNRT, and the National Fruit and Berry Growers Association. The group of Allen’s Neck Close friends Meeting was an vital section of Jim and Carol’s existence in the area and they each liked taking part in the conference, it is groups, and pursuits.
Jim’s powerful, constant spirit, and sense of humor will be deeply skipped by a lot of. We like to feel he is dancing with Carol, finding, and eating a ripe raspberry or mashing fresh new strawberries for his beloved food of shortcake which he would often take in many situations a working day! Dad most enjoyed expending time viewing with family and friends, working in the greenhouse or in the backyard garden. His earnest hope was his young children and grandchildren would be able to get pleasure from the world and all it offers, as he experienced.
His household would like to thank Allen’s Neck Meeting for their ever-present support, Coastal Neighbors Community and Kindred Hospice. We would also like to specific a heartfelt many thanks to Dad’s fantastic and devoted caregivers that permitted him to stay at house with pleasure, dignity, and grace till his previous working day. And the exclusive pals and neighbors that would brighten his times with their pleasant and loving visits.
Jim leaves his four kids, Elizabeth (Doug), Mark (Kelly), Craig (Jocelyn) and his sweet Sara, three grandchildren, Elinor, James and Scott, and prolonged family. The loved ones feels that that Jim’s legacy is ideal honored by executing a thing sort for the earth or a neighbor or by donating to Allen’s Neck Pals Assembly or the Dartmouth Grange. A service celebrating Jim’s lifetime will be held at a afterwards day.
Posted on-line on May well 21, 2022
Posted in New Bedford Common-Moments