b'1themeasure of 2l1CifeJamie\'s Gone ByDon Ollesheimer JAMESQ.McCAWLEY J IMMcCAWLEY,editoroftheABCmagazine,Oct. 26, 1899-Feb.23, 1969 passedawayquietlyinhissleepon February 23,1969 at Henrotin Hospital,Chicago,at the ageJamie\'s gone! Ya hav\' na\' heard? of 69, from amassive cerebral hemorrhage sufferedAye, he\'s gone w\' nay a word. threedaysbeforeat hisdesk, just 24 hoursafterHe\'s left a dozen things undonethe March issue went to press and 24 hours beforeTha plans oftha\' he\'d run, stories hewasscheduledtodepart fromO\'HareAirport- His books an\'left askew, papers boundforthe NRCA Convention in San Francisco.- Theofheto do,.-, pilestasks,meant It was the first convention that Jim missed in 45An\' ach, we\'ll miss him sore! years. Friends called, wired, and wrote to report thatHe was na\' really much ta see, the entire convention was saddened by his absence,He had no air of majesty; and several were reported leaving the meeting uponThe sparse an\' tangled hair was grey; hearing thenewsof hispassing. He was not onlyHis loose-hung clothes seemed made that way; missedat theseminars,butalsoat the luncheonHis paunch-extended walk belied, table and banquet, where he always insisted on say The dreamer, Jamie, deep inside, An\'we\'ll miss him ing Robert Burns\' "Grace", after the usual invoca ach,sore! tion. It went like this:His thin an\' haltin\' voice is still, An\'{anger speak his will. Some hae meat and cannie\' eat,canna Awealth ofhe, Some hae none that want it,knowledgeamassedBut we hae meat and we can eat,passed; Ah fear was lost, when Jamie An\' sadly, just a few will ken, So let the LordThankith.The loss it is to roofing men; be AmenAn\'we\'ll miss him sore! ach, Jim Mccawley,waswithoutdoubtaneccentric,\'Twas when he wrote, that he became, and he wore hiseccentricities like a badge and wasAmoncharacter-of offame; loved for them,and will now be remembered longerA voice ofan\' respect, stature becauseofthem.Indifferenttodress,he wasasWhose crown was paper, verbage-decked. described byDonOllesheimer,aMichigan roofingAh fear it will, a Lang time be, supplier,"Oor Jamie Wi\'theglassessetawry,T\' find a spokesman, such as he, .Wi\' the lazy coat and trousers, and a sadness in hisAn\' ach, we\'ll miss him sore! eye,He\'sno\'abraw appearin\' laddie,but ye ken the warmth inside, and the smile ye get from Jamie, is a pleasure while ye bide." Jimwasalwaysquicktocompliment,slowto criticize,appreciative of any favors. He had a strong will that refused compromise on any issue on whichtheyrequestedhishelp.Jim oftenprovidedthe he feltwasright.With his brilliant intellect,remi guidepostsandthe vital spark that set afledgling niscentof the "absent minded professor", he occa association off to a good start. sionallyunintentionally by-passedJimwasNERSICA\'sfirstexecutivesecretary, butfriends without greeting at conventions, preoccupied with a problemserving from1934 to1937, while at the same time he was mulling oversomeone else.operatinghisownroofingbusiness,editingtheir for Unambitious for self, but indefatigable in his devo official publication, the MODERN ROOFING MAGAtions to the roofing industry, Jim\'s unrealized dreamZINE (later incorporated with American Roofer by support was to have sufficient advertising revenue toHoffman Publications), and at the same time, writing 100 editorial pages monthly, not because he wantedhis ROOFING, ESTIMATING, APPLYING, REPAIRmore income for himself, but because each month heING,which has been the official apprentice training was faced with the unpleasant dilemma of rejectingbook in many states. editorialmaterialofconsiderable merit which con In 1938, at the convention of the UNITED ROOFtractors could use with profit and advantage.ING CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION~, (nowNRCA)Jimgaveunstintinglyofhistime,energyanda delegation urged Jim Mccawley to accept the post money even when none could be spared. No requestofExecutiveSecretaryoftheirorganization.The was too big, nor too small. He answered every ques proposaltoJim,wasmostuninterestingasthe tion,researchedeveryproblem,actedasroofingassociation wasinfact,bankrupt and had only10 consultant to many organizations, often without evenduespayingmembers.Butattheirinsistance,he receiving expense money to travel hundreds of milesfinallyacceptedandusinghis own personal funds toinspectaproblemroof.One letter received theplusborrowedcapital,started the NATIONAL other daystated,"AlmosteverylargecontractorROOFERMAGAZINEtoprovideincomeforthe owes ameasure of his success to Jim Mccawley, inassociation.Workingwiththemembers,whoalso onewayoranother,whetherornothecares togave generously of their time and efforts, they manadmit it."agedtoincreasemembershipto400withinfive He was alwaysavailable for consultation to everyyears and to 711 in 1951. local,regional,ornationalassociationwheneverBythistime the association offices had been 14APRIL,1969'