The village church of All Saints, Shepreth, was filled for Jim's Memorial Service on Thursday 10 April 2025. In attendance, there was family, contemporaries from SGS, work friends and colleagues from the past 50 years and a good number of neighbours from the village - all to celebrate a life well-lived but sadly cut short. His best man at his wedding 27 years ago and friend of 53 years delivered a eulogy, which Jim’s brother, Bill Ball (OS 1968) wishes to share with the Old Stopfordian community. Please see below for excerpts from the eulogy.

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I first met James/Jim Ball around April 1971. I arrived at Stockport Grammar School towards the end of the Easter term in the middle of the third year. James was the first person to invite me to his home.  

He studied Latin and Greek and wrote amazing essays in English and General Studies. His great intelligence and eccentricity began to be recognised by the School. James was made Vice Captain, and the History master told me that James was considered to be one of the most brilliant students the School had had. James then went on to write the Quincentenary History of Stockport Grammar School in 1987.

James won an Exhibition to Christ’s College Cambridge. After Cambridge, James gained a Ph.D. from the Warburg Institute in a very esoteric subject about 15th century Venice. 

Back in London, James started a career in financial publishing with Euromoney. His career embraced production, journalism, and public relations, working in London and Hong Kong. 

James met Katharine in Hong Kong, where it was clear there was great chemistry between them and they had much in common – particularly humour, kindness and high intelligence. Katharine added a new dimension to James’ life and a new level of happiness and contentment. Having known James for 54 years I have no doubt that Katharine was the best thing that ever happened to him, with Bob Dylan a distant second.

Going through the ups and downs of life, it was wonderful to have a friend like James with so much shared history. He was curious, thoughtful, open-minded and kind. James was also fundamentally kind and was a natural teacher. He was patient and brilliant at explaining things.

A couple of lines from Kipling’s If makes me think of James.

        If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

        Or walk with Kings – nor lose the common touch

James could effortlessly engage with anyone. He was curious, caring, interested, interesting, kind, loyal, funny, brilliant, eccentric and occasionally silly. We were fortunate to have him in our lives and his memory will eventually bring more smiles than tears.