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James J. Kreminski, the Associate Dean for Administration at The John Marshall Law School, died suddenly Sept. 23, 2008. He was 60 years old.
Memorials to a charity of your choice are appreciated.
Memories of Associate Dean Kreminski:
My memories of Jim, not surprisingly, stem from the many conversations that Frank and Jim had over the years. Frank was deeply interested in Meaghan's academic success and talked with Jim so frequently about Meaghan's experiences at St. Ignatius, the school that Frank's kids attended. They spoke about who the good teachers were, what were the best extracurricular activities, what courses Meaghan should take . . . all the typical topics that fathers might share.
Then too Frank continued his interest in Meaghan by following her college applications and interests with Jim. Frank so greatly admired the fine familial relationship among Jim and Nancy and Meaghan. Jim was the ideal father insofar as Frank was concerned.
-Corinne S. Morrissey
They say that no one is irreplaceable. "They" never met Jim Kreminski.
-Gerald Berendt
I hope I had a smile on my face!
(A Poem for Jim Kreminski and the John Marshall Law School Family)
I hope I had a smile on my face the last time that I saw him. I hope that I took the time to ask about his family, his leg, his life. I hope that during our last elevator ride, we exchanged pleasantries instead of looking up at the numbers or down at the floor. I hope I wasn't so wrapped up in the stresses of my job that I hardly noticed him.
I hope that even tho I was so late one day, I waved hello in passing. I hope that he knew that he made me laugh on occasion with his own special humor. I hope that those of us who are left behind are kinder to each other. I hope that we have learned the lesson that no one is promised tomorrow - To be good to each other today - To smile, to laugh, to talk, to wave - To listen and to care.
One of us is gone, but together we can fill the void and make his passing a lesson of life. We are all a family and all that we have during our John Marshall hours is each other. 9/29/08
-Elinor Kannon
When I came to John Marshall 12 years ago, a stranger in a strange land, Jim was one of those native Chicagoans who helped me learn what the city and its suburbs had to offer. When my daughter was preparing to enter the University of Illinois this fall, I again turned to Jim to help show me the ropes, because his daughter was entering her senior year there.
Jim and I worked closely on budget planning matters, especially with tuition revenue forecasting and scholarships. We talked almost every day. I will really miss him; he was a great work colleague and friend.
-William Powers
I met Jim 20 years ago, and he never changed or faltered from the kind, understanding, funny, strong man he was. In the same circle he was a hard working, no-nonsense man on important issues that touched or effected John Marshall employees. So long Jim, I will greatly miss you.
-Phyliis Finney
I will never forget how hard Jim Kreminski worked all of the time! For instance, alumni and development were having a particularly busy January in 1998. Jim stopped in to see what he could do to help things along. Not realizing that he meant it, I told him that he could help assemble alumni directories for D.C. He called Marty up to help and they both sat down and finished the job! I could not believe that he, an associate dean, would do that and I asked him why. He said that his title didn't matter; in fact nobody's title mattered when there was work to do. Now _ that's someone I'm going to really miss!!
-Maridonna Schaal
When I think of Jim, the title that comes to mind is simply "Mr. John Marshall." In his dignified and diligent way Jim helped make John Marshall what it is today. Certainly, he kept the wheels of the law school turning and, from behind the scenes like the financial wizard he was, made sure we stayed on track.
As a student, I had no idea the impact he had. As an employee, I had the privilege of getting to know him a bit, and seeing his vital role in everything "John Marshall." When in doubt about something, one could always "Ask Jim." When I first came on board, I introduced myself to him and called him "Dean Kreminski". He immediately corrected me, "Just call me Jim." He didn't like the limelight, but now that he has left us, 315 S. Plymouth Ct. is a darker place. Jim Kreminski was a true gentle-man. He was noble without being formal. His wry humor always made me smile. I will miss him!
-Geoff Hammond
I will always be grateful to Jim for the quiet yet vital support that he gave to me and my family over the years by helping walk through the minefield of medical insurance claims and expense reimbursements.
Jim was an honorable, dedicated and caring man that I will miss deeply. I do not know John Marshall without him. He modestly described the work that he did as "stuff." but it was that "stuff" that made a real tangible and positive difference in all of our lives. Jim was responsible for managing every dollar of the law school's budget and he diligently tracked every penny while judiciously making sure that all employees were able to equitably utilize our employee benefits.
He worked tirelessly for all of us. Daily Jim took hours of work home that he completed and brought back to work the next morning. I look forward to letting Nancy and Megan know how important he was to all of us and how grateful we are to him. I will keep Jim and his family in my prayers.
-Rory Smith
Jim was one of the finest people I have ever known. He was fair and just, and set a great example of "whatever it takes to get the job done." I always felt that Jim had my back, and I will miss him very much.
From a fundraising perspective, he was responsible for bringing in one of the largest gifts...the million dollar gift from Phil Baim. Jim demonstrated the patience and handholding that is required when working with major gift prospects, and I learned a lot from him. I had the pleasure of going on several solicitation calls with Jim, and his profound respect for both the law school, and the potential donor, was deeply evident.
The loss of Jim Kreminski will be felt for years.
-William Beach
I loved Jim; I worked in his department when I first started here at John Marshall. We shared the love of potato chips, and would often laugh and compare the chips that we would bring to lunch. He was a great guy, and a fair guy. He was a true advocate for the staff at John Marshall, and I do not believe he can be replaced. John Marshall has lost the best.
-Anna Johnson
Jim was the perfect supervisor. He was always willing to take time to explain, help and do all it took to make your working experience a rewarding one. Best of all he was a true friend who cared about you and your family. I will miss him.
-Joan Bahaveolos
Jim was the best boss in the whole wide world! He was a wonderful teacher also. He was very understanding and down to earth. He was always there for me if I needed him. Any problem I had (work or personal) he would help solve. If he didn't know the answer personally, he knew where to go to find the correct answer. He was a firm believer in using manners. He always said you will get more from people if you use please and thank you. Whenever he wanted anything, he made sure he always asked please and then said thank you when I finished the task. He also reminded me if I forgot to use please and thank you. He made my 29 years of working for him the best 29 years of my life. I am going to miss him tremendously!
-Judy Evans
I just wanted to say Jim was a very special person. Many times he went beyond his job to help others. He will be truly missed.
-Yara Santana
I am sure many people have stories about how Jim had helped them in some way and I am no exception. Three years ago, I nearly lost my life in a car accident; unfortunately, my friend, Jamie, did not survive the accident. As one can imagine this was an extremely difficult time for my wife because she put into in a position to make decisions that no person should ever have to make. Apparently there were issues with insurance that the hospital was throwing at my wife, Amy, which were completely inappropriate at the time. I was in a coma for seven days so I don't remember any of this, but the minute he had heard about what happened to me, Jim came to critical care area where I was at the hospital and told Amy that he "would take care of it". And that was it. Amy was never bothered by the hospital again and she was able to concentrate on the best course of action for my recovery.
The thing that is the most difficult to reconcile about my accident and with what happened to Jim, is that in both situations the world lost a good person. Both my friend, Jamie, and Jim were good people that cared about what they did and did the best for everyone around them. I can never understand why a good person has to be lost like this, while there are so many selfish and miserable people who get to carry on to a ripe old age.
But this is a existential question that does not have any easy answers. This just affirms what I realized three years ago, that every day we are breathing is a gift.
I was lucky to been able to work with Jim, he was both a mentor and a friend. He realized that life outside these walls is more important than any drama ensuing inside these walls; he had perspective that many find hard to realize. I feel that he will be remembered not for what he did, but for who he was, because it was who he was that drove him to do the things he did.
-Jim Velco
Working with Jim Kreminski over the past 21 years on the various department and conference budgets, federal and private grants, and audits have brought me to know, understand and respect a gentle man of the highest integrity. He helped to wipe away many concerns until we got it right. Thank you, Jim. You served well!
-RoseMarie Knight
Jim would tease me about how I should be working for his staff because I was a regular in the Business Office checking on library invoices. That seemed to be our regular meeting place. On Monday (Sept. 22) I saw him on the 9th floor of the CBA and I was teasing him about a foot race, but he was still walking with the cane and said I'd have to schedule that for another time. Jim has touched all of our lives profoundly. He will be greatly missed.
-Adelaide Williams
Jim's life, passing, and my co-workers' memories of him have reminded me to treat my fellow co-workers with more kindness and patience; and to have the tenacity and courage to continue to work to become the best version of myself I can possibly be. I will never forget him.
-Lori McDaniel
Over 20 years ago, Jim Kreminski invited me to work for The John Marshall Law School. When I accepted the invitation, little did I know what was in store for me. He was a man of integrity; a gentle giant who cared about getting the job done but also showed that he really cared about you.
Whatever advice he could offer-he gave it...whatever helping hand he could lend-he lent did...whatever funny joke he said or funny face he made, he did it to make you laugh and lighten your load.
We both shared the love of jazz music; Kenny G was his favorite. And strawberry shakes. His paczkis treats on Fat Tuesday's will be missed.
I thank God for Jim! He was a great boss and a blessing all in one. He showed me how someone with power can be humble, caring, and honest. "It's just ones and zeros - you can do it!" are words that I'll forever remember, because these are the words he would say to encouraged me to go beyond my limits to get a seemingly difficult job done.
I will truly miss Jim, but I'm thankful that he left me valuable memories that I'll forever cherish. No other boss will ever be like Jim _ A Gentle Giant, A Man of Integrity.
-Heather Williams
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