James Christie Shelburne OBITUARY

James Christie Shelburne OBITUARY

James Christie Shelburne passed away watching the Paris Olympics on August 3, 2024 at home in Laguna Woods, surrounded by his family. The light he brought to countless friends, colleagues and family during his 90 years on earth will continue to shine bright in the night sky, a universe he and his beloved wife Jacqueline always looked up to and revered. Jim was born in Macon, Georgia on Christmas Day in 1933, and while he was educated at Huntingdon College (Montgomery, AL), Yale, Emory and pursued his passion for cardiology at Columbia, UCLA, Penn and other fine institutions, he never forgot his southern roots. Every time he heard the slightest southern accent, he lapsed back into his native drawl with a beautiful sly smile on his face. Homemade grits, okra and fried chicken brought him as much pleasure as the Michelin star restaurants he frequented in Paris with his wife Jacqueline and close friends.All lives have pivotal moments Jim’s was in Paris in 1961 when he was doing his military service and met Jacqueline Loubert. To hear them both recount the whirlwind romance, it was nothing short of love at first sight they were married in 3 months, and eventually had two children, Alain, born in Paris in 1962 (deceased in 1995), and Tanya, born in New York City in 1964. The “J&J love story” endured the test of time, and every year through 2023 he took her back to Paris and Rome where they drank wine, ate mussels and took in the museums and the Opera. By all accounts, Jim had a very satisfying and impactful career in Cardiology, with lengthy tenures at the University of Pennsylvania where he ran the Cath Lab, and at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, California, where he was Chief of Cardiology. Interspersed in his career was an unforgettable 9-month stint in Shiraz, Iran in 1975, and a two-year opportunity at the American Hospital in Paris from 1980-82. To say that Jim impacted lives far and wide as a medical professional (and friend) would be an understatement. Please visit his online memorial website to read about and share your favorite stories of this extraordinary human. https://www.forevermissed.com/findmemorial/?q=James+shelburne Jim is survived by his wife of 63 years Jacqueline, daughter Tanya, son-in-law Joel Friedman, granddaughters Maxine and Jackson Friedman, his brother Bobby, his sister Anne Jones and myriad dear friends and colleagues. A celebration of Jim’s life will be organized after Jacqueline and the family return from the yearly Fall trip to Paris and Rome where they plan to live it upjust as Jim asked them to.