James Edward Doone

It is with great sadness that the family of James Doone announce his passing. James was born on February 1, 1973 in Torrance, California and passed on December 31, 2024 at La Plataforma beach in Oaxaca, Mexico. James suffered a quick and sudden medical emergency while surfing in “julep waters” and was surrounded by new, loving friends who sang to him as he passed on the “golden sands” under the “cerulean sky”—words he used to describe Puerto Escondido.

At the time of passing, James was a resident of West Hollywood and could be found chatting it up at the Hollywood Farmers Market every Sunday.

James grew up in Northwood, Irvine, graduated from Mater Dei High School in 1991, and played football for the Monarchs. After high school, he attended Orange Coast College where his intellect was highly entertained in a class dedicated to the Romantic Poets. He transferred to UC Berkeley and earned a degree in English literature. He soon began a teaching career at Los Alamitos High School while earning his MA in English literature at UCI. Being the life-long learner and intellectual that he was, James decided to leave teaching and attend the School of International Public Affairs at Columbia University earning his MA in Global Energy Policy. He worked for green energy companies E.On in San Francisco and Enel in La Jolla before landing with his dream team at esVolta out of Newport Beach where he was thriving as a renewable energy storage developer.

He loved the Rolling Stones, Jim Morrison, Barack Obama, Ulysses S. Grant, and sushi. He loved enjoying himself at the Kentucky Derby and those summers in Martha’s Vineyard, Brazil, and Tulum. He loved reading and running in Irvine Park and walking in LA. He loved old California: Steinbeck’s East of Eden and the lesser known Shakespearean actress Helena Modjeska of Silverado Canyon. He loved teaching Shakespeare, making his students do modern day reenactments, and serving up mean vocabulary quizzes! He absolutely loved living in NYC, eating only “the best” (and it was!), walking to the Troubadour, and riding his Ebike as far as his battery would take him. He loved laughing at reruns of Cheers, watching USC Trojan football with his dad, reading The Economist, and nicknaming all of his loved ones. He loved life; he loved his friends and family; and he loved his mom.

His best friend and beloved mother Eloise passed away just 11 months ago on February 1—his birthday—and we believe they just couldn’t live without one another.

A celebration of life is scheduled for Saturday, April 19 in Irvine. Please inquire with a family member for more details.