James M. Broadstone

James Marion Broadstone was born on April 25, 1945 in San Diego, California in the last days of World War II, to Catharine and Marion ("Bill"), who was stationed there in the Marines. They soon returned to Dayton, Ohio where Jim spent his childhood.

Jim went to elementary school at Holy Family, the school affiliated with the Catholic church they attended, where he later served as an altar boy. Jim went on to high school at Chaminade where he played quarterback, graduating in 1963. Jim, the eldest of 6 children, was sometimes a troublemaker and a brawler, and his sister Joan remembers occasionally helping to bandage his various scrapes.

He graduated from Ohio State University and went on to law school there, earning a JD in 1972. In 1968 he married Constance Duke Eaton (now Tipton), from Kettering. They lived together in German Village near the Ohio State campus in Columbus.

For a short time, and in anticipation of potentially being drafted to fight in Vietnam, Jim attended Air Force officer training school with Connie's brother, but dropped out after deciding it wasn't for him.

After law school, Jim and Connie moved to Washington, DC to a tiny townhouse on D street on Capitol Hill with their Yorkshire Terrier and some of their law school friends who moved in next door. As a young lawyer, Jim went to work for the Federal Power Commission, which later became the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). He became an expert on utility regulation and pricing, especially natural gas.

They moved to a slightly larger home on Capitol Hill on North Carolina Ave. (near Eastern Market) and had two children, Andrew (1973), and Madeline (1976). Around that time Jim also joined the private law practice of Galagher, Boland, Meiburger and Brosnan. Jim and Connie divorced in 1979, and agreed to equal custody of their children.

At Galagher, Boland, Jim represented the Gas Research Institute, headquartered in Chicago, and later became its General Counsel. Although he remained in DC, he traveled to Chicago frequently. Jim helped establish and defend the funding mechanism that contributed a portion of natural gas revenues toward research on better efficiency. His work also contributed to establishing the legal framework for electric net metering. Jim was a member of the bar of the U.S. Supreme Court, where he submitted written arguments in defense of the GRI's funding structure.

In 1982, Jim married June Gajdoss Perin, at a ceremony in their townhouse on North Carolina Ave. Jim and June had two boys, Matthew (1984) and Benjamin (1987). They moved to Overhill Rd. in Bethesda, Maryland in 1986. Jim was an involved parent, and served as soccer coach to Matt and Ben's teams over the years. He was also an enthusiastic sideline presence (and frequently the only fan) at nearly all Maret high school football games played in by Andrew or Matthew. He joined Maddy for regular track and cross-county training runs around the neighborhood. He was very proud of his children and loved them thoroughly - always cheering for their successes and helping them when needed.

Jim and June divorced in 2005. As the gas industry changed, Jim moved on to other legal roles in his later years, including serving as a guardian ad litem in divorce and custody cases. He lived for a time in Crofton, Maryland, near Madeline when her children were young. Then in Annapolis, and then Naples, Florida, before finally settling near his sister Joan in Maumee, outside Toledo, Ohio. There he met Sally Boening with whom he lived in the last years of his life.

Jim was a voracious reader, and always had a sci-fi paperback at hand. He also had a life-long fascination with the Trojan War - and enjoyed reading various translations of the Illiad, the Aeneid and other ancient texts. He was also always curious about science and was a fan of Carl Sagan. He liked to watch Cosmos and Nova - popular science shows on PBS in the 1980s - with his children. He also enjoyed sci-fi classics like Star Trek and Dr. Who - and shared that love with his family.

Jim loved Rock and Roll music, especially Jimi Hendrix, but also the top 40 hits of the 70s and 80s, such as Supertramp, and the alternative hits of the 80s and 90s, especially the Cure - and so many others. He loved discussing and sharing music with his children. He always had a great stereo in his house and car - and loved to turn it up and play it loud. He loved oriental rugs and antique furniture, which he studied and collected. He was a big football fan, and loved to make a big pot of chili and watch the Buckeyes, Notre Dame, or the Redskins. He also enjoyed cars. Of particular note was a silver 1970 Jaguar XKE with red interior that he bought in the mid 80s, and a BMW Z3 roadster he had in later years. He appreciated well-crafted furniture, handmade marbles, and good single malt scotch.

Jim is survived by his 5 siblings Joan Van Gunten, Mary Ellen Gaeke, Judy Anderson, Susan Jorfi, and Tom Broadstone, his 4 children, Andrew Broadstone, Madeline Sigrist, Matthew Broadstone, and Benjamin Broadstone, and 5 grandchildren, Henry and Noah Broadstone (Andrew), Eli and Izzy Sigrist (Madeline), and Milo Broadstone Berger (Matthew).