James Leroy Webb

April 1, 1936 – November 14, 2025

James “Jim” Leroy Webb, 89, passed away peacefully from complications due to Parkinson’s disease on November 14, 2025, in San Luis Obispo, California, surrounded by his loving family who will miss him dearly.

Jim was born in Williston, North Dakota, and was the eldest of the five children born to Floyd and Eldora Webb. The family moved to Odessa, Texas, shortly after the end of WWII and lived in a 25-foot trailer situated among the sand and cacti of the oil fields where Floyd was a welder and Jim’s first job was to fetch, with a wagon, 25-pound blocks of ice for his family’s ice box. In Odessa, Jim played freshman and sophomore football under a young, but soon to be legendary, coach Hayden Frye. Upon returning to Williston, Jim’s team won the school state championship during his junior year, and Jim was selected as an All-State Football Player. Jim was also skilled on the baseball field, and he played semi-pro baseball in Hatton, North Dakota, over the course of several summers. Jim’s athletic talent resulted in him receiving a scholarship to the University of North Dakota (UND) in Grand Forks, North Dakota. In recent years, Jim was humbled and proud of his induction into the Williston High School Coyote Legends Hall of Fame.

At UND, Jim began taking engineering courses while delivering mail on the campus. In 1956, to complete his time in service, Jim joined the Army. Two years later, Jim was honorably discharged, and he was able to use the G.I. Bill to return to UND, where he pursued a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education. While at UND, Jim continued playing football and “Scooter,” as he was known, was part of the team that won the 1958 conference championship and was team captain in 1960. College and fraternity life were instrumental in Jim meeting his future wife, Jean Ellen Jorgensen. When Jim learned that Jean was a sorority member who worked in the control lab as a beer tester/taster at Schlitz Brewery, he was smitten.

Jim “pinned” Jean at her sorority house in the spring of 1960, and on January 12, 1961, Jim and Jean eloped, but because both stood to lose their college housing if married, they kept it a secret. In February, Jim and Jean packed their belongings and drove the 3,700 miles to Alaska on the unpaved Alcan Highway with the goal of earning enough money to return to school in the fall. In the fall of 1962, Jim graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education and then a Master of Science in Kinesiology in 1963. Jim and Jean’s first child, Jill, was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota, in 1962. Jeff, their son, and Jeryl (Jeri), their second daughter, were born in 1963 and 1965 after Jim and Jean’s move to Staples, Minnesota, where Jim had been hired as an assistant football coach.

Jim moved his family to Eugene, Oregon, in the spring of 1966 to pursue his PhD in Growth and Development and Exercise Physiology at the University of Oregon. To finance his PhD program, Jim and family flew to Alaska, and tragically, it was during that trip that Jim sustained a life-altering accident, losing his right eye, while working on an oil rig. Not deterred, Jim returned to Oregon where he enrolled in the University of Oregon to begin working on his PhD. After receiving his doctorate in 1969, Jim was compelled, because of the loss of his eye, to reassess his career path. He interviewed for several jobs and was hired for a position at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (SLO) where Jim was to set up the new “Human Performance Lab.” Jim published many papers, obtained grants for research and development, spoke locally, statewide, and nationally, and he was recruited by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for the President’s Council on Physical Fitness. In the summer of 1986, Jim took a teaching lectureship in Australia. Upon Jim’s retirement in 1999, the performance lab was named after him, The James Webb Human Performance Lab.

Jim thrived in retirement. He and Jean organized a golf trip to New Zealand which included Jim’s brothers and their wives. They enjoyed many European bus tours and river cruises, and many happy moments came from participating in the annual Palmdale, California, July 4th “Webb Annual Open” golf tournament with family and friends. Super Bowl Sundays found Jim and Jean hosting the Palmdale crew and friends at their home in SLO. Summers revolved around Jim’s annual Alaska fishing trip with Jeff and Jim’s brothers (and their sons) where they’d fish for salmon and halibut. Jim loved music and had a pleasant tenor voice. He enjoyed being part of the choir at the United Church of Christ (Congregational). Jim was a wonderful dancer, and he could often be found doing the Jitterbug with Jean in the kitchen. Jim was an avid outdoorsman who trained his labrador retrievers, fished, hunted deer, moose, and game birds, snow skied, and he never met a round of golf he didn’t enjoy.

Jim spent his life serving others and lived his life with integrity. He was a kind man who encouraged and supported the endeavors of others knowing what it meant to face struggles. Jim was a naturally humble man with a tender heart. His absence leaves a huge hole in the lives of those who knew his love.

Those left to cherish his memory include Jim’s resolute and loving wife of 64 years, Jean, his children, daughter, Jill (Robert) Urmy; son, Jeff Webb; daughter, Jeri (Lars) Luther; his adored granddaughters, Skyla Luther and Raeya Webb; and his youngest brother, Mike (Lynne) Webb.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Floyd and Eldora Webb, brother, Gary (and Sylvia) Webb; sister, Marlyn (and Gary) Melland; and brother, Ernie (and Judi) Webb.

A special thank you to Foothills Residential Care for Elderly. Jim was loved and cared for with compassion and respect, and Jim’s family will be eternally grateful for the kindness shown to him. And thank you to David Holland who gave of himself every week, for three years, playing acoustic guitar and directing “The Jim Webb Singers.”

A memorial service and social hour will be held at 11:00 AM on January 10, 2026, at the United Church of Christ (Congregational), 11245 Los Osos Valley Road, San Luis Obispo, California. Remembrances of Jim are welcome at dignitymemorial.com. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating, in honor of Jim, to:

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at:

https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html

University of North Dakota (UND) at: https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/53852/donations/new