James Staples

James Courtenay Staples, age 84, (September 12, 1928) of Winter Park passed away Sunday, April 21st 2013, in Winter Park of Alzheimer's. Jim was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, to Elton Earle Staples and Miriam Oxnard Staples. He graduated from Wellesley High School in Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity. For a short time during the Korean War, Jim served his country as a First Lt. in the U.S. Air Force, teaching electronics. He married Martha Newton Groover of Macon, Georgia, in 1951. In 1958 Jim moved his family to Orlando to work as an Industrial Engineer at Martin Marietta. He later became a computer executive at Lockheed Martin in Orlando. Jim received a Master's Degree in Business Management at Rollins College and taught there for over ten years. Genealogy was his passion and in the early 1970's he published the first computerized genealogy. He served on the board of trustees at Wesleyan College in Macon, Ga. He was preceded in death by his daughter Miriam Staples Kersey and his parents. Survivors include his wife of 61 years Martha Groover Staples of Winter Park; son Dr. Edward Denmark (Mark) Staples( Nancy) of Gainesville, Fl.; son-in-law James Walter Kersey of Orlando,Fl.; brothers Samuel W. Staples(Trudy) of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan and Charles O. Staples(Kadie) of Lincoln, MA.; grandsons Alexander James Kersey (Ashley) of Orlando, Thomas Graham Kersey of Orlando and Addison Denmark Staples (Tracy) of Gainesville, Fl. ;granddaughters Courtenay Staples Bunn (Phillip) of Forsyth, GA, Alicia Staples, Gabriellen Staples and Jennifer Staples all of Gainesville. A family graveside service will be planned with burial in Dighton, Massachusetts. Friends and family are invited to visit at his home from 4:00 to 6:00 P.M. Thursday, April 25th at the Winter Park Towers, 1009 S. Lakemont Circle, Winter Park, FL 32792. In lieu of flowers, donations maybe make to Westminister Retirement Communities Foundation, Winter Park Towers Benevolent Assistance Fund, 80 W. Lucerne Circle, Orlando, FL 32801.