In Memory
James C. Borden
Oct. 14, 1928 - Dec. 1, 2013
James (Jim) C. Borden, 85, of Middlebury, Vermont, and formerly of South Bend, Indiana, passed away on December 1, 2013.
Jim was born on October 14, 1928, in Indianapolis, to James G. and Anna (Hasewinkle) Borden. He graduated from Adams High School in 1947 in South Bend, and served in the U.S. Army from 1951-1953. He also attended the School of the American Academy of Art in Chicago.
Jim had various careers, and his work life began early. His parents opened a restaurant on Portage Avenue in South Bend when he was 12. He worked there from the start and later took over management of the restaurant with his sister, Joan, and, all told, worked at the J & A Grill from its opening in 1941 until 1996. The restaurant was a special locale for many regular customers who also enjoyed his fine paintings that always hung on the walls of the J & A.
His passion, indeed, was always art. He had a natural talent and love for painting, which he did actively up until the week before he died. In the 1960s and 1970s, he was a sought-after portraitist, and painted many of South Bends local leaders. His work evolved as the times evolved, and later he painted both landscapes and more abstract work. His works hang in many private homes across the country, and several of his pieces are in the permanent collection of the South Bend Museum of Art. In 1976 his portrait series of Lincoln, Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, Sitting Bull and Custer was accepted by the U.S. Veterans Administration and presented at the White House. He was inducted into the South Bend Hall of Fame in 1994, in recognition of his artistic achievements.
Jim's commitment to art extended to teaching. He taught for decades at the Art Center (now the South Bend Museum of Art), and once he moved to Vermont in 2008, he taught weekly classes to his fellow residents at the Lodge at Otter Creek in Middlebury. He always wanted to help other aspiring artists and did so over the years in a thoughtful, supportive, and inspirational way. He received many accolades throughout his life, including the Carlotta Banta Artistic Achievement Award from the South Bend Museum of Art, which he received in October of this year.
He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Gail Borden and Jeffrey Cason of Middlebury, VT; son and daughter-in law, Jamie and Nicole Borden, of Osceola, IN; grandchildren Elias Manzi, Chelsey Borden, Sophia Manzi, Jessica Borden, and Gabriel Cason. Jim was predeceased by his wife of 47 years, Lois (Reed) Borden, in 2007, and his sisters Betty Walker and Joan West.
A memorial service will be held in South Bend on December 28 at 11:00 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church. Visiting hours will be held at Kaniewski Funeral Home, in South Bend on Friday, December 27 from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the James C. Borden Art Award, which will provide a cash award to a John Adams High School senior who displays a love of and talent in the visual arts.
Contributions may be sent to the James C. Borden Art Award c/o Teacher's Credit Union, 110 South Main Street, South Bend, IN 46601 or made online at: http://www.gofundme.com/5lbspw.
06/15/2021 DEC
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