[SBB] Dr. James F. Clements - 1927-2005

["Kendric C. Smith" <[[email protected]]>]

Dr. James F. Clements  1927-2005

Dr. James Franklin Clements: brother, husband, father, naturalist, 
entrepreneur, adventurer, diplomat, leader, and friend, was born 
October 31, 1927 in New York. He passed away on June 9, 2005, at 
Tri-City Hospital in Oceanside, California from complications 
associated with acute myloid leukemia.

Jim spent most of his early years in the Graham School Orphanage in 
Hastings-on-Hudson. He joined the Merchant Marine at age 15, and 
shifted to the navy when he was of age seeing service on the 
Philippine Sea aircraft carrier. He started his post secondary 
education at Beloit College in Wisconsin, married Mary Norton, and 
completed his undergraduate education at the University of Minnesota. 
He served his country again during the Korean conflict, this time in 
the United Stated Air Force. His family, which now included two sons, 
moved to California in 1952 where he eventually became a partner in 
the successful printing firm of George Rice & Sons. He received his 
Ph.D. from California Western University in 1975. His thesis became 
the first edition of his Birds of the World, A Check List, which has 
since sold five editions and is used by tens of thousands of bird 
watchers internationally.

The Smithsonian Institute recently contacted Dr. Clements to use his 
list in their plan to classify each of the 9800 birds in the world. 
After retiring in 1988 Jim founded Ibis Publishing Company, and 
subsequently produced a number of books, including: A Natural History 
of the Waterfowl, by Frank Todd, California Birds, by Arnold Small, A 
Field Guide to the Birds of Yap Island, Ornamental Trees of San 
Diego, A Field Guide to the Birds of Peru, Clements and Shany, Birds 
and Mammals of Antarctica, by Frank Todd.

In his role as an accomplished naturalist he has funded several 
enterprises in Ecuador, Peru, Baja California. In 1989 he raised 
money for the Schreiber Hall of Birds at the Los Angeles Natural 
History Museum by viewing a record number of bird species seen in a 
calendar year and donating funds pledged by individuals and 
organizations to the museum. Recently Jim received the high honor of 
having a bird named after him, The Iquitos Gnatcatcher, Polioptila 
clementsi. In 1986 Dr. Kamuzu Banda, President of the Republic of 
Malawi, appointed Dr. Clements as Honorary Consul General for the 
State of California. He was past president of many civic 
organizations including the San Diego Museum of Natural History and 
the Explorer's Clubs of Los Angeles and San Diego.

Dr. Clements is survived by his wife, Karen of Temecula, CA., a 
brother Robert of San Francisco, step son Dave of Murietta, step son 
Tim of Temecula, son Bob of Salt Lake City, son Dan of Everett, WA., 
and eight grand children.
-------------------
From a Google search.  I heard a rumor of his death, but no 
confirmation.  He will be missed.
--
Kendric C. Smith, Ph.D.
927 Mears Court
Stanford, CA  94305-1041
(650) 493-7210
[[email protected]]
http://www.stanford.edu/~kendric/
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