On March 29, 2013, James “Jimmy” McLeod passed away at the age of 79 after a long battle with cancer.
Jim was born on January 22, 1934, in Dalry, Scotland. His journey to Santa Barbara started in Montreal, Canada. He completed his studies in Physics and Mathematics which opened up vast opportunities. In 1963, his work brought him to Santa Barbara where he worked at Delco for 33 years in the Aerospace Department on numerous projects.
Anyone that knew Jim could describe him in two words; wine and soccer. His passion of soccer came as both as a player and as a referee. This love started at a young age and carried throughout his life, allowing him to find friends anywhere he went. One of his great joys was being involved in the growth of the game in our community. You could always find him out and about talking to people about the game he enjoyed so much. His other passion, wine sat the same way as soccer did. He worked, learned and loved to visit our local wineries. A local connoisseur, he organized wine clubs and tasting where people could share ideas, thoughts, and learn about different wines. These two loves brought him joy and introduced him to so many wonderful friends from all over.
Jim impacted so many lives as a friend, teacher, and family man. A brilliant man whose care, love, and insight will be missed but will carry with us always because of the impact he had on all our lives. Jim will truly be missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him. We love you!
He is survived by his wife, Elinor, daughters Sheena (Art) Nelson, Margo (Tom) Ruiz and Sandra (Doug) Engelhardt and grandchildren, Mallory (Troy) Grant, Arthur Nelson, Thomas and Kevin Ruiz, Chelsea, Douglas, Michael and Mariah Engelhardt and grant-grandchildren, Dante and Dasha Grant.
Special thanks to all the staff and doctors at Sansum and the Hospice Visiting Nurse Association for all their help and compassion in his care.
A Memorial BBQ will be held at Manning Park #9 at noon on Sunday, April 21st. If you have any questions, please send them to duderuiz@cox.net.
