James M. Stackpoole

James M. Stackpoole, age 80, passed away on Friday, August 29, 2025.

The Early Days: Jim was a Detroit boy, the only child to June and Melvyn Stackpoole. While he excelled at many sports, baseball was his favorite. Attending Cooley High, he played first base on the All-City baseball squad of 1962. “I hit .400”, he recalled, “but all my hits were singles. They got me to first base because I was left-handed.”

Summer Lovin: The summer of 1963 at Johnson's Resort on Houghton Lake,Michigan, set the scene for Jim's love story with the spirited blond, Kathy, as they worked side-by-side, waitress and busboy. Fall meant they were back on their respective collegiate roads, with Jim tackling hotel and restaurant administration at Michigan State and Kathy focusing on her education degree at Central Michigan.

Navy, Married and Baby: The ink was barely dry on his diploma when Jim was off to Naval Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. Wasting no time, he hurried back to Whitehall, Michigan, after OCS to marry his patiently waiting love, Kathy, in June 1967. With a Pontiac Tempest and just $300, their two-week honeymoon was a road trip, a final taste of freedom before he reported for duty as a navigator of the USS Norton Sound at Port Hueneme Naval Base, California. Nine months later, their daughter Rae Lynn was born on the base. Their military life, however, was short-lived, just three years later, President Nixon’s military cuts returned them to civilian life.

Career Days: In January 1970, they moved to Marco Island and Jim became the General Manager of the Marco Island Inn. While at the Inn, Jim met the Mackle Brothers of The Deltona Corporation, the visionary developers behind the island's growth. The following year, 1971, brought two big changes for Jim: the birth of his son, Bradley, and a new position as manager of The Marco Island Country Club for The Deltona Corporation. He was just 25 years old at the time. "I was just a kid in the organization back then," he recalled. "It turned out great for me. It became a 20-year job and education.” As the club's manager, Jim worked tirelessly alongside Barb Klimas and Eleanor Creighton to organize the Tony Lema Memorial Tournament from 1971 to 1980. The celebrity-pro golf tournament was a star-studded affair, attracting a "Who's Who" from the worlds of sports and entertainment. At his legendary post-Lema home parties, Jim was the star of the show. He'd get the crowd moving by spinning his massive collection of 45s and dancing to the '50s tunes he loved most. Jim’s career with Deltona spanned 20 years, growing from country club management to senior vice-president of land development, marketing, and community management in Miami. He credits his success to his outstanding mentor, Frank Mackle, Jr., Deltona’s president. After leaving Deltona, Jim dedicated another 22 years to land development. He focused on planning and permitting for a variety of companies in Florida and Georgia, including the build-out of Cheval Golf and Country Club. This work also included the extension of the Suncoast Corridor in Tampa. He finally retired at age 68.

Life Beyond Career: He was a devoted "Grandpaaaa" and "Papa" to four grandchildren, Noah, Sinjalee, Ava and Sedona, with whom he loved to travel and share his passion for horse racing. This passion, learned from his father at Detroit Race Course, was his greatest outside of family and friends. He was so dedicated that he named his firstborn after a thoroughbred racehorse. Jim was a whiz at all things racing, with a keen mind for reading the racing form, calculating odds, and picking winners.

Jim’s charisma, storytelling and generosity will be greatly missed by all.

Please save the date to join us: Saturday, January 10th, 2026,09:30AM for a Funeral Mass at: Espiritu Santo Catholic Church, 2405 Philippe Pkwy, Safety Harbor, FL 34695. Followed by Interment at Calvary Catholic Cemetery, 5233 118th Avenue N. Clearwater, FL. 33760. Ending with a Celebration of Life at 12:00 PM at Tampa Bay Downs 11225 Race Track Rd, Tampa, FL 33626.