James "Jim" Coelho
September 25, 1935 ~ November 6, 2014
Resided in:
Fremont, CA
Jim Coelho was born in San Jose, California to Emily Mori Coelho and John Rose Coelho. Jim is preceded in death by his parents and his late wife, June Callejon Coelho. Jim is survived by his wife Virginia, sister Nancy Coelho Margherita (Bob), brother John Coelho (Jeanne), daughter's Mary Wilson (Daniel), Teresa Blake (Randy), Julie Mast (Warren), stepchildren Gael-a Wylie (Eric), Benn Burns, Alison Bettencourt (Mike), many nieces, nephews, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Jim was raised on a small diversified crop and livestock ranch in the San Francisco Bay area. Jim attended the University California Davis, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, and Cal State Hayward studying Administration and Agricultural Educations. It was at a young age that Jim began his 65+ year passion and career of cattle ranching. While maintaining and growing his irrigated pasture, row crop pasture, stocker cattle in Dixon-Davis and his cow-calf herd in the Mission San Jose area of Fremont, California, Jim was also the Director of Agriculture at Livermore Valley School District for 25 years and the founder and teacher of the Agriculture Business Management program at Chabot College.
Previously, Jim served as a member of the Board of Directors at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton, where he served as President of the Board. Among many other leadership roles he served on the Boards of the Alameda County Farm Bureau, the Sierra Bay Farm Credit Association and the California Agricultural Leadership from 1971 to 1973, and served on the California Cattleman Association Convention and Legislative Action Committees. He was also a member of numerous organizations, including the National Cattlemen's Association, serving on the Research and Education Committee and belonged to Cattlefax.
There will be a Celebration of Life for all family and friends at the Alameda County Fairgrounds on Monday, November 17, 2014 from 4pm-7pm in the Exhibition Hall Area. Private burial services will be held. In lieu of flowers the family requests remembrances in Jim's name to the donors local F.F.A. Chapter or 4H Club.
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Our deepest condolences to the Coelho family.
Mr Jim Coelho it was a great pleasure to know you may you rest in peace +
Alfonso Casillas.
I was in Mr.Coehho’s class,his student helper and F.F.A. I looked up to him as a man of strength,honor and intelligence and in later years I thought of him as as friend.He will be missed.
Jimmy was one of our dearest cousins, who always will be remembered with such fondness and smiles. We had a big family and usually gathered at our grandparent\’s Coelho ranch. Between all of us, there was plenty of mischief to get into! Jimmy will always be remembered as a kind, fun-loving cousin, along with his siblings, Nancy and Johnny. Those were the days when we were able to run all over the ranch and find our fun, everywhere! We know that we will all be together, again, soon and that Jimmy is in Heaven taking care of God\’s animals with all the love he had, here on Earth.
He will be sorely missed and never forgotten.
All our sympathies go to Virginia and family, and his sister, Nancy and brother, Johnny. He will be remembered in our prayers, every day.
Sincerely,
June and Bill Tidball
So sad to hear of Jim’s passing. I will always remember him as being bigger than life. I remember when Ryan was little and would study Jim from his boots on up to his hat, memorizing what shirt and hat he wore to each event. Then it would be a quest for Ryan to have a shirt just like “Jim Coelho”. He will be missed and always in our hearts.
My condolences to Virginia and the entire family.
Birdie and Bill Snyder
I was saddened this morning to hear of Mr. Jim Coelho’s passing. Jim was a man of integrity, an excellent educator, and a true friend of agriculture. He had a profound and enduring effect on so many of us who were fortunate enough to have crossed paths with him. His love of agriculture and the professionalism he exhibited during his many endeavors served as an inspiration to all who knew him.
My heart felt condolences are extended to Virginia and family.
Jim Coelho was the most influential high school teacher I had. His Horticulture and Agriculture courses taught me not only ‘content’ like the 65 most common California weeds, but how to solve problems and figure things out. We learned how to splice rope, clean a chicken, measure hog backfat, and wash a sheep with Woolite. I learned so much practical economics from him as well, including how cooperatives worked. I know he helped and mentored thousands of young people like me who were in 4-H and FFA. Rest in Peace Jim…you have earned it. Thanks for all the good you did.
One of the best teachers I had as Livermore High, graduated 1982. He taught me so much about plants, how to make cuttings and grow them, trim trees, make corsages for out mothers, identify insects, and on and on… I think about him often with fondness, thank you for caring about us, your students.
Please accept my sincere condolences to the family.
I was so sorry to hear about Jim Coelho’s passing. He had a huge impact on my life, as he was my ag instructor for four years at LHS. I remember eating lunch almost everyday with Jim and the other students in his ag room. He truly cared about his students.
One highlight for him, and the five students on the Parliamentary Pro team, was the wild whoop he let out when we won the California State Championship in 1967, held at Cal-Poly in San Luis Obispo.
That exposure to the college encouraged all five of the team members to enroll there, as freshmen, after graduating from LHS. I’ll always remember him as “Mr. Coehlo,” and to this day,
I appreciate the motivation he gave me and others to go on to school after high school graduation.
Once again, I am so sorry for the loss of a wonderful individual, and outstanding role model for young people.