James Robert Burtle

January 7, 1943 – August 19, 2010

Local business owner and sportfisherman Jim Burtle passed away this past Thursday at Memorial Hospital of Long Beach.

He was born in Santa Monica, CA and graduated from Westchester High School in Los Angeles in 1960. He entered Long Beach State College in September, 1960 and affiliated with Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He transferred to USC for his final year and received his bachelor’s degree then to advance by earning his MBA in finance.

Jim is a veteran of the U.S. Army having served in Germany. He then worked in Sweden where he indulged his passion for sailing which included being shipwrecked for hours on a liferaft in the English channel before being rescued by the French Coast Guard. He returned to Long Beach permanently joining Finerty and Co. at the Pacific Coast Stock Exchange.

In 1975, Jim purchased Pacific Coast Hardware from the Capouch family and built a new store at 1040 East Pacific Coast Highway. The store was closed in 1997. He then was hired by Orchard Supply Hardware and retired in 2006.

Jim is recognized civically as having been a director and president of the Local Development Corporation board for the City of Long Beach at its inception which assisted in new business financial development.

As a fisherman and sailor he excelled in all things having to do with the ocean and had a deep and abiding love for the water and its inhabitants and was a strong advocate for marine science and conservation. He holds several local fishing records such as catching a 35 lb white sea bass on 12 lb Dacron line in 1990.

He has been a decades long member and board member of the Southern California Tuna Club and board member and was president of the historic Tuna Club of Avalon in 1992.

Jim was married to the former Kim Holden in 1978 and is survived by his sons Robert of Long Beach and John of Los Angeles, sister Mary Char Hohmeyer of San Diego and mother Mary of Long Beach. His father Bob and brother, John, predecease him.

Memorial services will be Saturday, August 28th when a flotilla of boats will gather at 9 a.m. at the main channel, Alamitos Bay, 200 feet east of the Long Beach Yacht Club and proceed to his burial. A reception will follow at the Southern California Tuna Club from 12 noon until 2 p.m. located just north of Golden Sails Inn with entrance off Loynes Drive.

Donations in his memory may be made to the SCTC Marine Biology Scholarship Foundaton, P. O. Box 87, Long Beach, CA 90801.

Luyben Family Dilday-Mottell Mortuary (562) 425-6401