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 James L. Shinn
Dec. 12, 1935 - June 8, 2017
Dr. James L. "Jim" Shinn was born Dec. 12, 1935 in Shoshone, Idaho, to Louis and Ruth (Johnson) Shinn. While he was still young, the family moved to Klamath Falls and then Medford.
Growing up in Medford he loved science, math, and cars. If someone was working on a car, he was there. His career goal as a youth was to own a dealership and his jobs in high school and college were all as a mechanic or a service representative for a dealership.
Jim graduated from Medford High School and attended Lewis & Clark College. After his freshman year he married Gail Ellen McDuffee, his high school classmate whom he had adored since junior high. Over 60 years of marriage they shared a love of camping, travelling, raising children and renovating houses. They lived for over a year with food cooked from a microwave while the kitchen was under construction. Another year, Jim gave Gail a sledgehammer for Mother's Day.
After graduating from the University of Oregon with a degree in Mathematics, Jim taught math at Roseburg High School and Sunset High School in Beaverton. He mentored students and student teachers, many of whom kept in touch for his entire life, and he helped with numerous extracurricular activities.
After 10 years teaching Jim entered school administration. He was Director of Planning and Director of Personnel for Beaverton schools, where he served for 22 years in total. Jim returned to school and earned an MA degree from Cornell University in 1963 and a Ph.D from the University of Oregon in 1976.
He and Gail later moved to the Washington D.C. area, where Jim was Director of Personnel for Fairfax County (Virginia) Schools and Montgomery County (Maryland) Schools.
After 10 years in the Washington area, Jim and Gail "retired" to Beaufort, S.C., and began restoration of a 1787 house in the historic Point area. Jim worked as Executive Director for Staff Development for Beaufort County Schools. In addition to his office job he read to children in elementary schools weekly. Jim finally retired for good in 2001. He then began work as nearly a full time volunteer at Beaufort Memorial Hospital, where he loved greeting patients and visitors and making them feel welcome and comfortable.
In 2008, Jim and Gail moved to The Dalles, to be closer to family and to their roots. Gail had developed dementia by this time and Jim continued caring for her continuously for years, in a fashion that can only be described as heroic. In 2011 Gail moved to a memory care facility, where Jim visited every day bearing chocolate and memories. Gail died in 2014 and Jim's heart was broken. Jim continued to enjoy time with family, and with his friends and the staff at The Springs at Mill Creek.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Louis and Ruth; and his beloved Gail. He is survived by brother, Charles (Coral) Shinn of Central Point; sons, Paul (Carmelita) of Oklahoma City, John (Judy) of Goldendale, Wash. and Michael (Ellen Lairson) of Portland; grandchildren, Katy (Tony) Haines of Powell Butte, Allie Shinn of Oklahoma City and Kevin Shinn of Seattle; and great-grandson, Sullivan Haines.
Jim was known by family, friends, and colleagues for his quick wit, intellectual curiosity, thoughtful advice, willingness to do whatever was needed, and genuine caring for those around him.
Jim Shinn died at home June 8, 2017, in The Dalles. No services are planned. In lieu of memorials, Jim asked that you have dinner with your family in his memory. Family would appreciate your sharing a photo online if possible.
Please sign the online guest book at www.oregonlive.com/obits
Published in The Oregonian from Aug. 15 to Aug. 20, 2017
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Royal Skousen
My first class from James Shinn was geometry, in my sophomore year. And we had a real Euclidean-type geometry textbook. It was Basic Geometry, by George David Birkhoff of Harvard (no slouch), and the book was marvelous. About 15 years ago I phoned up Jim back East to get the title of the book, which I then went out and got a used copy (third edition, Chelsea, NY 1959). Chapter 2 had the five postulates, with Euclid's famous parallel postulate replaced with a principle of similarity (this will send shivers down your back): "Two triangles are similar if an angle of one equals an angle of the other and the sides including these angles are proportional." Then chapter 3 has "Seven Basic Theorems". I remember how slow going this was, but it was extremely rewarding. Later, I saw what my kids had for "geometry" in high school. It was shameful, and extremely dumbed down. When I was in college, I went through the first book of Euclid. Something ALL of you should do. It's amazing to go from Euclid's five postulates to the Pythagorean theorem (and its converse), all in the first book. An unbelievable demonstration of deductive power. Both Einstein and Newton said that Euclid was the most influential book they read as a kid. Indeed, for me too.
So this is what Jim Shinn had us learning as sophomores. God bless his memory, truly a mentor for all of us.
Royal Skousen