Harold James (Jim) Krauser of Naples, FL, formerly of New Canaan, CT passed away peacefully on June 3, 2024 after a long battle with heart disease. He was a man of faith, family and friends.
Jim Krauser
Jim was born November 21, 1940 to Frances Marion and Harold (Hal) Leo Krauser in Portsmouth, Ohio. He was raised in the Chillicothe, Ohio community along with his two sisters. He graduated Saint Mary’s primary school and Chillicothe Catholic Central High School in 1958 where he excelled in multiple sports. Jim was the first player in school history to accumulate over 1000 in his high school basketball career and make the second team all-state in Ohio. He was also a four-year starter on the baseball team and hit above 300 during his final three years on the team.
Jim matriculated to South Bend Indiana in 1958 to attend The University of Notre Dame. Jim’s father graduated with the Class of 1926 and his parents were married in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on October 4, 1926. At Notre Dame, Jim was a proud member of the Class of 1962 and he made tender, strong and true friendships that lasted a lifetime. Jim played a year of basketball for the Irish and four years of baseball. He was the freshman baseball coach his senior year and this coaching experience proved to be the foundation of his career and his community service. He was a whole -hearted Notre Dame fan. The connection to ND was strong throughout his life and he did not miss watching a football game for 60 years. There were many memorable visits to South Bend for Jim and Merrily and the entire Krauser family. Jim was very active in the Notre Dame alumni club of Naples FL and planned several class reunions.
Jim met his beloved wife, Merrily, in 1963 and they celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary on April 24, 2024. They began their marriage living in Bethesda, MD and had their two daughters, Tracy and Kelly. The family moved to Potomac, MD and then moved to New Canaan, CT for almost 40 years. They joined the Naples, Florida community in 1990 with a second home in the Wyndemere Club Community.
Jim began his career of connecting in 1962 where he taught and coached briefly at the secondary level. The highlight of this period was when the star of his first basketball team, Ned Krause, introduced him to his sister, Merrily. Soon after they were married, Jim entered the real estate business which allowed Jim to combine teaching motivational and organizational sales skills in the Washington, D.C. area. During that time, he also completed his Master’s degree in Education from American University in 1967. He was responsible for creating and leading the Shannon & Lucks Academy of Real Estate training in the D.C. area and it quickly became known as the premier organization of its kind in the country. Consequently, he became a sought-after speaker and traveled throughout the country teaching and coaching other firms. In 1978, this experience helped Jim be recruited to be the national training director for Merrill Lynches’ real estate division in New York, NY. Two years later he continued on as the chief marketing officer for a select group of independent real estate companies operating nationwide.
Alongside his real estate career, he was a part time statistician for the Washington Redskins 1970-1980 and traveled to support the CBS broadcast team for three Super Bowls during that time.
A major career change took place in 1984 when Jim joined the executive search firm, Spencer Stuart where he worked, collaborated, connected and thoroughly enjoyed building relationships for 18 years. He became a partner and managing director of the Stamford, CT office. Based once again on training and coaching principles he became the firm’s international assimilation leader and functional specialist in the senior level world of finance. Jim treasured his relationships with people at the firm and with the people he helped place at companies. He enjoyed the travel aspect of the business. Connecting people was second nature to him.
Jim continued part time consulting in the executive search group of R.L.Benson and Associates in an executive coaching, mentoring and senior level search capacity. He also helped assess internal corporate hiring processes.
Jim was an accomplished and enthusiastic sportsman and he was dedicated to physical and mental fitness his entire life. His sense of sportsmanship, fair play and competitive zeal was a constant in his life but it was the cadre of friends and teammates who joined him on the courts, courses, fields and card rooms along the way that meant the most to him. Jim and Merrily belonged to Bethesda Country Club, The Edgemoor Club and Congressional in Maryland and The New Canaan Field Club and Shorehaven Club in Connecticut. They spent the last 34 years at Wyndemere Country Club in Naples Florida. Jim represented the clubs in hundreds of interclub tennis matches and served on many tennis committees. Jim credits his wife and partner, Merrily, for his greatest tennis victories; a Senior Olympic Mixed Doubles Bronze medal in 2001 and a Senior Olympic Mixed Doubles Silver medal in the 2003 games. He won over 50 club championships combined in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. Jim was known as the Voice of Wyndemere and umpired many professional and amateur tennis matches over the years.
Jim became an avid golfer over the years. He enjoyed competing and the comradery on the course. He enjoyed traveling and had many legendary men’s trips in the US and Canada and the groups formed enduring friendships.
Jim was involved in the New Canaan High school sports council in the 1980s. He was an avid spectator at all Rams sports games and practices, particularly, Tracy and Kelly’s time on the Girls tennis, basketball and field hockey teams. He announced the boy’s basketball games for 8 years.
In 2001, he became involved at Saint John Neumann Catholic High School in Naples, Florida. He volunteered for the first SJN capital campaign and was a guardian angel supporter for years. He was the head tennis coach from 2005-2019 and was an active spectator for many SJN sports as the school grew. Again, the relationships he formed with school administrators, Clergy, other coaches, capital campaign volunteers and parents of the students made an impact in his life. However, ”Coach K’s” biggest source of pride was to give his coaching and life philosophies to the student athletes. Teaching and emulating sportsmanship to the next generation of people is his legacy. Jim was recently inducted into the Saint John Neumann Hall of Fame on April 20, 2024.
Jim was a devoted Christian for his entire life and his faith guided and inspired him. He is forever grateful to the Clergy and fellow parishioners at the congregations that meant so much to him; Saint Mary’s Church, in Chillicothe, OH, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, in Notre Dame, IN, Church of the Little Flower and Saint Jane de Chantal, in Bethesda, MD, Saint Bartholomew Church, in Potomac, MD, Saint Aloysius Gonzaga Church in New Canaan, CT, Saint Ann Church and Saint Agnes Church in Naples FL. The Mass, the music, the traditions, the teachings weaved the fabric of his life. Merrily sang in the choir at Saint Agnes for several years. Jim was a lector at Mass for over 40 years at Saint Aloysius and Saint Agnes and truly loved this thread of communication as his ministry.
Jim was extremely grateful to the many Doctors, Nurses and Health professionals for helping him along his health journey over the past twelve years. He was a fierce advocate for himself and he valiantly tried to share what he learned about Amyloidosis to help others. Jim was grateful to have the last 12 years with Merrily to be involved in their grandchildren’s lives. He cherished time with Merrily and his family.
Jim is survived by the love of his life, Merrily. Also, his daughter Tracy Krauser Fincher, her husband, Douglas, and their three sons; Christian, John and Ryan. Tracy and Doug reside in Westport, CT.
In 2014, Jim was preceded in death by his youngest daughter, Kelly. He is survived by her husband, Stewart Knott and their three children, Carson, Halle and Kendall Knott of Alexandria, VA.
On the Krauser side of the family he is survived by his older sisters, Katy Krauser Kurz and Ann Marie Krauser Bechtold along with their families; Kathleen Kurz, Clare Kurz and her husband, Charlie Pryde, Annie Kurz and six Kurz grandchildren. He is survived by nephew, Marty (Naomi)Bechtold and his great niece Bridget Ann Bechtold.
In addition to his parents, He was preceded in death by brothers in law, Jim Kurz and Eugene Bechtold, his niece’s husband Mike Savonis and his great nephew Bryant Bechtold.
On the Krause side of the family, he is survived by his sister-in-law, Marjory M Reilly and her husband Walter Reilly of New Canaan, CT and his brother-in-law, Edward (Ned) Krause from Potomac, MD. He is survived by nephews, Bryan (Christina)Mellick and Jeff (Beatrice)Mellick and his nieces Merrily Mellick and Kara Krause.
Jim was preceded in death by Merrily’s parents, Edward (Ted) and Theresa (Terry) Wamester Krause, his sister-in-law, Mary Ann Ruggieri Krause and most recently by his nephew, Jed Mellick.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Saint Agnes Church in Naples, FL on Saturday, November 2, 2024 at 11:30 am. Internment will take place at the Saint Agnes Columbarium. In lieu of Flowers, donations can be made in Jim’s honor to Saint John Neumann Catholic High School, 300 53rd Street SW, Naples Florida 34116. For online condolences, please visit Jim’s Tribute at www.fullernaples.com.