James "Jim" Otis Brace

Brace

            James Otis Brace, 63, of Meyersdale, passed away at Western Pennsylvania Hospital, Pittsburgh, after an extended battle with Leukemia on January 1, 2015.

Jim was born in Ithaca, NY on May 14, 1951, the son of late John Wells and Patricia (Demarest) Brace.

He will be dearly missed by his wife of over 40 years, Lynn (Wockenfuss) Brace. Jim will be lovingly remembered by his two children, their spouses, and one grandchild: Corbin Brace and wife Marie, and their daughter, Gwenyth, of Clinton, Maine and Deidra (Brace) George and husband Frank, of Millinocket, Maine.

Jim was the oldest of five children growing up in Beltsville, Maryland, and enjoyed world travels with his family. As a young child he lived in Berkeley, California for one year in the 1950s and as a teenager, lived in Cambridge, England in the 1960s. His ability to work on a problem, come up with solution, and getting the job done, will all be missed by his siblings and their spouses: George Brace and wife Rachel, Milbridge, ME; Ann Malin and husband Robert, Ctr. Barnstead, NH; Nancy Brace-Thompson and husband James, Ventura, CA; and Catherine Messmer and husband David, Topsham, ME.

After Jim graduated from Colby College in Waterville, Maine in 1974, he received a Watson Fellowship to travel throughout Great Britain and Europe for one year studying 18^th, 19^th, and early 20^th century means of transportation. He studied Advanced Blacksmith Training in London at CoSIRA to build on the blacksmith skills he had developed during summers spent in Cherryfield, Maine, as a blacksmith’s apprentice.

Most of Jim’s working career was a heavy equipment operator in the coalfields and for construction companies in Western Pennsylvania. For over 20 years, during the winter months, Jim worked at Seven Springs Mountain Resort as a snow groomer. He was also a bicycling enthusiast who participated a number of times in the Tour de ‘Toona and many local races in Berlin and Shanksville. He spent his vacations in Cherryfield, Maine, visiting his parents and family while working on various one-eighth scale steam locomotives and tractors.

Friends will be received from 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, January 7, 2015 at Price Funeral Home, Meyersdale where funeral service will be conducted at 4 p.m.

Memorial contributions may be given in his name to Colby College, 400 Mayflower Hill Dr., Waterville, ME, 04901.

Arrangements by Price Funeral Service, Inc., Meyersdale. 

 Service Information