James "Jim" Peter Mastrian

James Peter Mastrian, 83, of Austin, Texas (“Jim”) passed away peacefully on March 27, 2026 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. For over 15 years Jim fought his Parkinson’s with the stubborn temerity and determination that he was famous for among family and friends. His fighting spirit will always be an inspiration to those who knew him.

Jim was born in a steel town, Farrell, Pennsylvania, and was the proud son of a steel mill worker. He was a member of the class of 1960 of Farrell High School and was later inducted into their Hall of Fame in recognition of his business accomplishments. He went on to attend the University of Pittsburgh and received a degree in Pharmacy in 1965. It was at Pitt Pharmacy school where he met the love of his life, Nancy, with whom he would share the next 65 years of his life. In 2008, he was named a Distinguished Alumnus by the University of Pittsburgh.

Jim and Nancy embarked on their pharmacist careers together, with Jim starting his career as a pharmacist for Peoples Drug. After working his way up the ladder at Peoples, Jim was part of a group of entrepreneurs that bought the Wornom’s Drug Stores in Virginia, and thus founded the Cavalier Drug Company. Jim’s tireless efforts helped Cavalier Drug grow, and they were eventually bought by Drug Fair, which offered Jim an executive position as part of the acquisition. Jim soon became an icon in the chain drug industry, with successful tenures as a senior executive for major chains including Gray Drug, Revco, and Rite Aid over his 40+ year career. Jim received the prestigious awards of both Retailer of the Year and Marketer of the Year by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores during his career, a testament to not only the results he was able to achieve, but also for the honor and integrity with which he worked, and the respect he was able to garner in the chain drug industry.

The pride of Jim’s life was his family. He loved growing up surrounded by cousins and stayed close with them his entire life. He and Nancy raised two children together and had three grandchildren that lured him to a life in Austin, Texas in his retirement years. Nothing made Jim’s face light up more than his grandkids. They will always remember their strong and adoring Papa.

Jim was preceded in death by his mother, Mary Teaberry Mastrian, his father, James A Mastrian, and brother Samuel X Mastrian. He is survived by his beloved wife Nancy Goodling Mastrian, daughter Noelle Anne Mastrian, son Shawn James Mastrian and his wife Cara, and three grandchildren, Luke Thomas Mastrian, Ty Franklin Mastrian, and Faith Genevieve Mastrian.

Jim’s funeral mass will be held on May 1st, 2026 at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, 5455 Bee Cave Road, Austin, Texas, at 10 am, and the celebration of his life will be held afterward at the Omni Barton Creek Resort, 8212 Barton Club Drive, Austin, Texas. The funeral mass can be viewed online. To join the livestream, please click on the link in the Services information below. Those who want to attend the service are encouraged to contact Shawn at [email protected] for hotel and logistical information.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Forebatten Foundation on Jim’s behalf to fight against Juvenile Batten’s Disease. This foundation was close to Jim’s heart because his best friend’s grandchildren are fighting the Batten battle. Donations can be made at the link found below.