James Marc

James Louis Marc, Jr. passed peacefully in his sleep on Friday, January 24, 2025 in San Anselmo, California.

James was born July 26, 1949 on Midway Island during his father’s station there for the US Marine Corps. Aside from that brief time, he resided in Marin County for 74 years, much of it in the home his grandparents built in Corte Madera in 1908. James attended Neil Cummins Elementary, Redwood High School, College of Marin and the San Francisco Art Institute. 

James began drawing at an early age, and at age 11 started painting. He was a prolific artist, painting most days of his life from 4-6 hours unless he was out on the rivers flyfishing, playing piano which he taught himself to play, or shooting jump shots at Corte Madera Park. His artwork has been shown in galleries in Marin, San Francisco, Montana, New York and Seattle. James and his partner Connie shared a love of art and Connie will always treasure their time together, which included daily walks surrounded by the natural beauty of Marin.

During his childhood, a neighbor took him flyfishing, and as they say, he was hooked. Summers found James and his young family in the 1970s as trout bums, living in the camper of their 1956 Chevy truck and traveling the western states in search of trout. In later years, he became a flyfishing outfitter, guiding and sharing his love of fishing with many clients on the spring creeks of Paradise Valley and Yellowstone Park. 

Music played a large role in James’s life, passed down by his parents, James Louis Marc Sr. and Marie Rose (Kolbasnik). From country and bluegrass to choirs and opera and lots in between, James loved music. It was the background to years of drawing and painting and lives on in the legacy of the cassette tapes he made and shared with many.

While James was one of the lucky ones who created a life that allowed him to do the things he loved most – art, music, flyfishing and basketball – there were hardships and traumas. Perhaps because of his artistic and creative side, he was able to find beauty among the chaos and the messy part of life. He had a unique view of the world and when nothing was going right he always went left. Always left. 

He is survived by his daughter Bibi Taylor, son-in-law Tom and grandson Jack of Santa Barbara, CA; his long-time partner Connie Kirk of San Anselmo; a large extended family including sisters Sonny Rose (Elyse) of Oakland, CA, Juliette Valente (Paul) of Woodacre, CA, and Victoria Howell (Michael) of Stevensville, MT; his nieces and nephews and their families; his previous spouses, Beda and Cynthia, and many friends. They all love James and miss him deeply. 

We are grateful that he did not suffer long and had his capacities for all his passions. However, the huge void of his big presence will be felt for the remainder of our days. 

We wish him joy on this next adventure and know that he is abiding by the words he loved:

Wherever you go, there you are. – Confucius 

Do what you must do and do it well. – Bob Dylan