James Keith Chamness was born on September 30, 1930 and passed away on March 16, 2024. His last months were spent athome under the loving care of his wife, Dorothy, and daughter and son-in-law Jean and Bill Russner, aided by Hospice of Holland and Comfort Keepers.
Jim was born at home in Goshen, Indiana, the youngest of three children born to William E. (Bill) and Lotha (Wagoner) Chamness. He grew up in Angola and Michigan City, Indiana, where he graduated from Elston High School in 1948. He played football, basketball, and ran track in high school and went on to play varsity football and basketball at DePauw University. Upon graduation from DePauw in 1952, he received an invitation to try out for the LA Rams, but was unable to make the cross-country trip. Throughout his life he enjoyed watching sports on TV, especially football and basketball.
On August 29, 1953, he married his sweetheart, Dorothy Jean Frey. They met in 9th grade, began dating in Jim’s senior year of high school, and were happily married for 70 years.
Jim began his medial career at Indiana University School of Medicine in 1952. After graduating in 1956, he did a one-year rotating internship in South Bend, Indiana. He then enlisted as a Captain in the Air Force. He was stationed at Barksdale Airforce Base in Shreveport, Louisiana for two years. It was there that he developed his interest in pediatrics as part of a team organizingmedical services for children of families on the base.
After leaving the Air Force, he moved on to a residency in pediatrics at the University of Michigan. Upon completing that program in 1961, he was recruited by Dr. Vern Boersma to become the second pediatrician in Holland. At the beginning of his solo practice here, doctors were still making house calls and an office visit was $3! He remained in private practice for 29 years, then became a founding partner of Holland Pediatric Associates in 1990. This was the first pediatric group practice in Holland.
Over his 36 years as a pediatrician, Dr. Chamness sometimes cared for multiple generations of the same family. After his retirement in 1997, parents would stop him on the street to share memories of his compassionate care. Jim was also a passionate advocate for children throughout his career. He spoke widely at church and civic groups to raise public awareness of child abuse and drug abuse before these issues were more widely recognized. He worked through organizations such as SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now) and helped pave the way for Cora Visscher’s founding of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Holland. For his efforts Dr. Chamness received the Blue Cross Blue Shield “Caring for Children” award and a commendation from the governor for his advocacy for the prevention of child abuse.
During his years in Holland, Jim belonged to the Holland Jaycees, the Social Progress Club, Western Michigan Pediatric Society, the American Academy of Pediatrics, SCAN, Hope Academy of Senior Professionals, and the Century Club. He was also a Boy Scout Cub Master and received the Silver Beaver award from the Boy Scouts of America.
A long-standing member of Holland First United Methodist Church, Jim sang bass in the Chancel Choir for over 50 years. Later in his life he spent many delightful days in service through missions, including building or repairing roofs, houses, andfences in places such as Lake Louise (a Methodist camp in northern Michigan) and various sites in the Appalachian Mountains.
Jim held a life-long love of fishing with his friends and family, particularly his grandchildren. He helped many grandchildren catch their first fish on Fine Lake where the family cottage is located. He also loved fishing in the wilds of Ontario. Other free-time pursuits included completing crossword puzzles and reading suspenseful mystery novels. He even dipped his toes into tap-dancing lessons at Evergreen Commons in his golden years, fulfilling another life-long dream.
Jim’s memory will be cherished forever by his family including his loving wife, Dorothy; 6 children: David (Nancy), John (Annette), Jim (Mary), William (Kay), Jean (Bill Russner), Paul (Heidi); 13 grandchildren: Tim (Tiffany), Fiona, Julie, James, Billy (Emily), Daniel, Joel (Amy), Katy (Alex), Sarah, Ben, Daria, Darby, and Adam; and one great-granddaughter (Marie Nicolette). He is also survived by a cousin, two nephews and three nieces. Jim was a proud and devoted family man.
Visitation will be held Friday, March 22, from 5 – 7 p. m. at Holland First United Methodist Church, 57 W. 10th St., Holland, Michigan. A Celebration of Life Service will be held Saturday at 11:00 a.m. at the church. A private burial will take place at the Bedford Township Cemetery, Bedford, MI, near the family cottage on Fine Lake.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be sent to First United Methodist Church (57 West 10th St. Holland, MI 49423) or Hospice of Holland (270 Hoover Blvd. Holland, MI 49423).
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