James V. Jolliff - Obituary

aptain James V. Jolliff, USN (retired) Captain Jolliff was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on June 14, 1932. He attended Valley Forge Military Academy (1948-1950) and entered the U. S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland in 1950 on an Honor School Appointment. Graduated and commissioned as an Ensign on June 4, 1954, he subsequently advanced in rank to that of Captain on May 1, 1975. He completed active naval service on December 31st, 1981. Following graduation. from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1954 he joined the USS SAMUEL N. MOORE (DD 747). While serving as Chief Engineer in USS MOORE, he participated in three deployments to the 7th Fleet with sustained operations off Korea and Taiwan, and in the South China Sea. In December 1956, he transferred to the USS CIMARRON (A0-22) as First Lieutenant and Gunnery Officer and made two WESTPAC deployments in support of 7th Fleet task force operations. This service qualified him at sea in deck, gunnery, engineering and navigation. He was awarded the Surface Warfare Officer designation for this service. He reported in August 1958 to Long Beach Naval Shipyard where he served as Ship Superintendent for Destroyers. He was selected for graduate study in May 1959 and reported for post graduate instruction at the Webb Institute of Naval Architecture, from which he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marine Engineering and a Master of Science Degree in Naval Architecture in July 1962. After an assignment as a student at the Naval School of Diving and Salvage, he served from September 1962 to May 1964 as Assistant Repair Officer and Assistant Planning and Estimating Superintendent for Aircraft Carriers at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard. During this period, he was assigned collateral duty as the Salvage Officer for the Eleventh Naval District. He next joined the Staff of Commander Mine Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet as Staff Maintenance Officer and in that capacity readied ships for deployment in the Vietnam conflict. From June 1966 to July 1969, he was an instructor and Associate Chairman of the Naval Engineering Division, Engineering Department, U. S. Naval Academy. During this period curricula was revised, and a plan developed for the detailed design of a new engineering complex. In addition, he was assigned the collateral duty of Assistant Dean for Research. In May 1969, he received a Master of Science Degree in Financial Management from George Washington University which was earned during off-duty hours. Ordered to the Catholic University of America on a CNO Fellowship in August 1969, he graduated with a Doctorate in Ocean Engineering in July 1972. After a short tour of duty as a Special Assistant to the Director of Navy Laboratories, he reported to the Naval Ship Engineering Center where he served as a Ship Design Manager for several modular ship conceptual designs. In that assignment directed all phases of the total ship system design for the cost constrained fossil fueled aircraft carrier (CVX), a major ship design undertaking. In November 1974, he was selected as Head of the Ship Survivability Office, Naval Ship Engineering Center. In that assignment he directed research and design projects related to weapons effects on ship structure and equipment and developed design criteria and methods to assess ship damage and to assess protective features against all forms of attack. For this duty he received the Navy Commendation Medal. In June 1976, he became Commander, Naval Coastal Systems Center, Panama City, Florida. This duty involved the management of a 750-employee RDT&E complex and a military base with three major tenant commands. Responsibilities included management of a $50M RDT&E Program, oversight of 65 housing units and several recreational facilities and responsibility for area coordination of nine counties in Alabama and Florida. Major gains in RDT&E developments were achieved and improvements in Military Construction were notable. For this duty he received the Legion of Merit, and his command received the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation. Additionally, he was cited by the Secretary of the Navy for leadership in coordinating a major civilian and military diving operation in the State of Alabama and was awarded a Gold Star in lieu of a second Navy Commendation Medal. From September 1979 until completion of active Naval Service on December 31st, 1981, he was Director, Electrical Systems Group, Naval Sea Systems Command. He directed a large and comprehensive electrical equipment improvement program as life cycle manager for surface and submarine electrical equipment for which he received the Meritorious Service Medal. He was also the project manager for the Advanced Electrical Propulsion Drive System during this period. He was a life member of the American Society of Naval Engineers and served as its Journal Papers Committee Chairman for several years. He co-authored “The Naval Engineers Guide” and authored over twenty published technical naval engineering articles in the Naval Engineers Journal. Following his retirement in December 1981, he served as a consultant on several Navy contract projects. He also returned to his love of rocks, minerals and gemstones. He graduated from the Gemological Institute of America and later earned diplomas from England and Canada as well as additional certifications. He opened JEI Gemological Laboratory in 1981 and served as Executive Director of the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers from 1994 to 2004. He is survived by his devoted wife of 64 years, Ardythe Jolliff of Edgewater Maryland, daughter Katherine Ewing (husband Raymond) of Arnold Maryland, son Robert Jolliff of Edgewater Maryland and three grandchildren. He has been active in either PCA or Lutheran churches for the past 61 years and knows the Lord will never leave him or desert him. Friends are invited to celebrate James' life at the Kalas Funeral Home & Crematory, 2973 Solomons Island Rd., Edgewater, MD on Tuesday, January 11 from 12 pm until his funeral service begins at 1 pm. Interment will be held at Lakemont Memorial Gardens in Davidsonville, Maryland. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Hospice of the Chesapeake, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena, MD 21122 Condolences may be made by using the Memories tab on this page.