James E. Pannell

James E. “Jim” Pannell

Born in Radford, Virginia his family later moved to Montgomery County briefly and then to Salem, Virginia where he graduated from Andrew Lewis High School in 1961. Following graduation he worked at Rowe Furniture Company for a short period until being hired by Roanoke Gas Company as a Customer Serviceman in 1962. There he became a member of the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union and served in various offices of the Local Union.

In 1972 Jim was hired as an International Representative with the OCAWIU, and was transferred to Savannah, GA where he then organized and serviced Local Unions in the southern district. He was later transferred to Dayton, OH in the late 1980’s for a short period of time until being appointed Director of the southern district in 1988 and relocated to Knoxville, TN. After a brief stint as Director he accepted the position from the International Secretary-Treasurer’s office and became an International Auditor and assisted Local Unions throughout the country.

In 1999 OCAWIU merged with UPIUIU and formed PACEIU. He continued in the position of International Auditor in the merged Union until accepting the position of Assistant to the Administrative Vice President. In 2001 he was elected Administrative Vice President of PACEIU. At this time, Jim also served as Executive Committee Member of the ICEM headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. He continued in these positions following the merger of PACEIU and the United Steel Workers International Union in 2005. After thirty-four years of service he retired in July 2006.

Jim felt very fortunate to have had a job that he enjoyed doing and got a great deal of satisfaction out of having some small part in bettering the plight of working men and women. He was a proud “Union man”.

Jim was an avid golfer and would play whenever there was an opportunity. Many of his days after retirement were spent on a course where he had a number of “golfing buddies” in Roanoke, VA, Murfreesboro, TN and Frisco, TX.

Jim was preceded in death by his father and mother James C. Pannell and Margaret M. Pannell and by his beloved wife of fifty-eight years Carolyn Wertz Pannell. He is survived by sons and daughter-in-law’s Duane R. Pannell, Sr and Selena of Vernal, Utah and Tim W. Pannell and Darlene of Frisco, Texas, five grandchildren Duane R. Pannell Jr, Mallory P. Walter and Jade, Christa P. Collins and Brandon, Emily P. Johnson and Geoff and Nathan Pannell, seven great-grandchildren, Lilia and Wyatt Pannell, Max, Jase, Cassidy and Lacey Walter and Emma Collins. He is also survived by his sister and brother-in-law Linda and R.L. Thomas of Pulaski, VA, sister-in-law and brother-in-law Cheryl and Tom Hodges of Vinton, VA and Ann and Kent VanHoy of Catawba, VA. And lastly but certainly not least, except in size, a spoiled rotten miniature grey Poodle named Rass-Kull (aka Rassi).