COL JAMES R. DUFFY To TAPS

James R. Duffy, 94, of Salinas passed away Monday, June 22, 2009, after a lingering illness. 
Jim was born December 30, 1914, in Sacramento to James Michael and Louise Parenti Duffy. 
He attended public schools in Sacramento and graduated with honors from Sacramento High School in 1933 and then attended Sacramento State College. From 1935 to 1940 he was an accounting clerk and auditor for the California State Board of Equalization.
Jim joined the U.S. Army in 1940 and attended the officers course, finance school, at Duke University in 1943. He was relieved from active duty in December, 1945, and returned to work for the State Board of Equalization until 1947 when he accepted a commission as a Regular Army Officer. Through the Army he finished college and graduated, with honors, from the University of Hawaii in 1950 and Phi Beta Kappa from the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University in 1953, where he was first in his class. Jim's keen mind for business served him well in his military and civilian life. He was Deputy Finance Officer, Seventh Army, Stuttgart Germany; Plans and Program Officer, U.S. Army, Europe, Heidelberg, Germany; Chief of Financial Management Division, Office, Chief of Staff of the Army, Pentagon. His final posting was as Commandant, U.S. Army Finance School, Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana, a major Army training establishment which (at the time) had 298 faculties engaged in teaching comptrollership to military and civilian members of the defense establishment and other government agencies. The school had 6900 resident students and 9000 nonresident students in the extension program. Jim actively commanded the school in every facet of administration which is similar to being a college or university president. Jim is most known locally for his work as Finance Officer for the City of Salinas and as comptroller for the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments. "Retirement" wasn't part of his working vocabulary, so after leaving AMBAG he worked part-time as comptroller for the Sun Street Center in Salinas. He was a member of the Salinas Elks Club (where he loved to play gin rummy with friends) and Sacred Heart Church.
He was pre-deceased by his wife Barbara Miller Duffy in 2008 and his first wife, Dorothy Stotts Duffy. He is survived by his stepson Keith G. Miller (Tommye) of Salinas; their children Shelley Miller of Spartanburg, S.C. and Sean Miller (Elaine) of Charlotte, N.C.; great-grandchildren, James Robert Miller, Zachary Thomas Miller, and Sara Kay Miller, also of Charlotte; and nieces Sharon Valenti and Janet Jarrett of Ft. Bragg. The family appreciates the dedicated love and care given to Jim by Lisa Musante and her staff at Close to Home in Salinas and his longtime physician Dr. Joseph Garvin.