James Emory "Jim" Biesecker (January 15, 1941, to January 24, 2012). Jim passed away at home on January 24, 2012, at the age of 71. He is survived by his loving wife of 51 years and lifelong best friend, Joyce Hurst Biesecker; his sons Brian, Keith, and Bruce; his daughters-in-law Kathleen and Hilary; his grandchildren, Brittany, Max, Ivan, Vaughn, Sasha, and Imre; and his sister Jane Neil.
Jim was born January 15, 1941, to Robert E. and Rebecca H. Biesecker of Sharon, PA, where he grew up with Joyce and where they married in August 1960. Jim attended Penn State University, State College, with Joyce, graduating in 1962 with Bachelor of Science degrees in Civil and Sanitary Engineering. Jim continued on at Penn State to get his Masters of Science in Sanitary Engineering. He also attended Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, in 1967-68 where he worked on his Ph.D.
Jim spent his entire career working for and dedicated to the U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). He began working as a hydrologist in the Survey's Harrisburg, PA, office; took a year off to work on his Ph.D.; and then moved to the Survey's Washington, D.C., headquarters in 1968. In 1971 Jim moved with his family to Denver, CO, where he became the youngest district chief in the history of the USGS. Jim returned to the D.C. area in 1978 to take the position of Regional Hydrologist for the USGS Northeast Region. In ensuing years, Jim served in a variety of leadership positions.
During his long and distinguished career, Jim was part of the inaugural class of the U.S. government's Senior Executive Service and received a number of awards and honors, including Meritorious and Distinguished Service awards and Senior Executive awards from Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. Jim was also a prolific author, publishing a number of professional papers and books on hydrology.
Jim retired in 1996 to his home in Leesburg, Virginia, where he enjoyed a happy, active life, including traveling around the world with Joyce to Europe, the South Pacific, and Australia; PSU football games with friends and old classmates; working with the USGS Water Resources Division retirees on a quarterly newsletter and retiree programming; volunteering with the Inova Loudoun Hospital Ladies Board on their annual charity rummage sale; and mentoring and being a wonderful father and grandfather to his kids and grandchildren.
A small private service will be held for immediate family. A larger memorial service for extended family and friends to celebrate Jim's life will be held in the Spring.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Lights of Love (in support of nursing scholarships) c/o The Ladies Board of Inova Loudoun Hospital, P.O. Box 6115, Leesburg, VA 20178. For more information on Jim's life and to visit his guest book, please log onto www.colonialfuneralhome.com.