James Martin Symons

James Martin Symons was born on May 7, 1937, the first-born child of Stella Pauline Barton and James Lyndall Symons. Jim grew up in Murrayville, Illinois, a small, midwestern town surrounded by farmland.

His quintessential childhood instilled a deep appreciation for the seemingly simple things in life: a loving family, homegrown tomatoes, the kindness of neighbors, good books, a sense of humor, storytelling, and the satisfaction of hard work. At the age of 15, Jim (the oldest of five children) and his family moved to Jacksonville, Illinois. His proclivity for the performing arts began with his parents teaching him to play the piano, an avocation he enjoyed throughout his life. While working his way through Illinois College in Jacksonville as a radio announcer at WLDS, Jacksonville, Jim met his beloved wife Judy, who was a student at MacMurray College at the time. Immediately after graduation, Jim appeared as the male lead in an off-Broadway production of Shakuntala in New York City, and then returned home to marry Judy in Jacksonville on November 14, 1959.

Judy was on the nursing staff of several hospitals and raising their first-born daughter, Tracy (1961), while Jim served in the U.S. Navy as a Lieutenant, after which Jim earned his Master’s Degree in Theatre at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. After teaching for a few years at Yankton College in South Dakota, Jim and Judy and their growing family of Tracy and Kelly (1964) moved to Ithaca, New York, where Judy continued her nursing career, and Jim received his PhD in Theatre from Cornell University. Jim’s career took the family around the country, first to Minnesota (Moorhead) State University where their third daughter Carrie (1971) was born. Subsequently, as an administrator, Jim chaired the theatre department at four universities including the Colleges of St. Catherine & St. Thomas in Minnesota, the theatre department at the State University of New York in Albany, the speech and drama department at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, and ultimately, the department of theatre and dance at the University of Colorado, Boulder for 15 years where he also directed many productions at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival. Throughout his career, he directed more than sixty plays. He was also an award-winning teacher and scholar, earning the Library Association’s annual Freedley Award for the best theatre book of the year with his Meyerhold’s Theatre of the Grotesque (1971) and a President’s Teaching Scholar award from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Along with family road trips, Jim and Judy enjoyed travels to several world cities, including London, Moscow, and New York City. Their favorite destination, though, was Hawaii, where Jim earned his scuba diving certification. After retirement, Jim and Judy enjoyed many golden years together. He loved reading on the balcony with a view of Pearl Street and the Flatirons, playing piano, visiting with family and friends, and walking to the Boulder County Library, often picking up a stack of books for himself and Judy. “It’s amazing how much brighter the day feels,” he recently shared, “when you’ve got a visit to the library in it.”

He is survived by their three daughters, Tracy (Steve) Symons Smith of McKinleyville, CA, Kelly Symons of Louisville, CO, and Carrie (Herminso) Symons of Ann Arbor, MI, as well as three granddaughters: Alexandra Smith of Seattle, WA, Jennifer (Josh) Smith of Sacramento, CA, and Gabrielle (Jason) Johnson of Denver, CO. Also surviving are two brothers and one sister, Andy (Linda), Alan (Valerie), and Jennifer (Stella) Symons, and Judy’s brothers, Steve (May Lum) and John (D’Alene) White. Jim was preceded in death by his wife Judy, his parents, Judy’s parents, and one brother and his wife, Jerry and Sharon Symons.

After several months of battling pneumonia, Jim died at age 87 on March 6, 2025 in Boulder, Colorado. Since November 12, 2021, the day Jim lost his beloved Judy, he had longed to be reunited with her. May they finally be together again, now and always. A celebration of life will be held in Boulder in early summer. If you wish to contribute to the commemoration of Jim’s life, please make a donation to your local public library in his name.