JAMES N. BIENEMAN -- 1941-2015

James N. Bieneman passed away January 31, 2015 in Rye Brook, New York. He was 73. Cause of his death was multiple myeloma. He is survived by his wife, Carol of Bonita Springs, Florida, and Cassopolis, Michigan; a son, two daughters, five grandchildren, and two brothers.

After graduating from Redford High School, he went on to Dartmouth College from which he graduated with a bachelor's degree and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business. From Tuck he joined a management training program at AT&T in Detroit, then left two years later to oversee the installation of a computer and inventory control system at Electro-Voice in Buchanan, Michigan. In 1969 he joined Crowe Chizek (now Horwath Crowe) where he spent the remainder of his career, first in South Bend and later in Columbus, Ohio. His specialty was working with family businesses on succession planning. His book ‘Guide to Total Planning in the Family and Owner Managed Business’ was picked up by Horwath companies worldwide and translated into several languages.

Jim was a lifelong summer resident on Diamond Lake in Cassopolis, Michigan, where he raced nippers, snipes, windsurfers and MC's from age seven to 70, and taught sailing in the 80s and 90s. He was a man of many interests and passions. In addition to sailing, he was an avid hiker, golfer, squash competitor, and biker. It was the rare bird he couldn't name and barely a constellation in the sky he couldn't identify. He loved his woodshop and built much of the furniture for his Florida home. He was a great opera fan and during his years in Columbus, Ohio, he was an active member of Opera Columbus. Most of all, he cherished his family. He was beloved by his family and friends and will be greatly missed.

(The obituary excerpts above were found in the Dartmouth College Alumni Magazine with the following reference:  "Thanks to Stu Mahlin for this. From the South Bend Tribune 2/6/15 these excerpts:")