James Norman Dildine
Marriages
Elsie Jean Antrim
Obituaries
Steamboat Today - September 5, 2010
James Norman Dildine, born Nov. 5, 1961, in Houston, Texas, to Charles and Adrienne Dildine, died in mid-August 2010 in Routt County by his own hand.
He was 48.
Jim had a successful career in advertising with customers nationwide. Much of his graphic art still is in use today by the many clients who found his work so creative and effective.
A fine artist, his detailed portrayals of aircraft earned his work a place in the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Fla.; the U.S. Air Force Armament Museum at Eglin AFB in Florida, the Museum at Edwards AFB in California, and the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, among others. He was a long-term member of the National Arts Club in New York City, the U.S. Air Force Art Program and the Society of Aviation Artists. He was educated at the Columbus College of Art and Design and received a master’s degree from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. His later work in portraits, landscapes and still life hangs in many private collections. Jim also expressed his skilled eye and hand through photography and fine woodworking. His sensitivity to symbol and story added depth and meaning to his art. He lives on through his work and through the many people who loved him.
Jim had a lifelong love of aviation, was a skilled pilot and air-to-air photographer, and served in the Air Force. He traveled widely. His love of New York City was infectious and his disdain of Ohio State football was palpable. Jim’s keen sense of humor brought levity to many, and for some it was his defining characteristic.
Beloved by many nieces and nephews, Jim delighted them with inventive entertainments, from ice-cream making and dunking machines at family parties to bonfires, fireworks, rafting trips and a recent trip by small plane to Alaska’s backcountry.
Jim loved the old masters, especially Rembrandt — the intricate play of shadow and light. The shadows overwhelmed him — but the light remains for all who loved him.
He is survived by his wife, Elsie Jean “Jeannie” Antrim, of Clark; his parents, Charles and Adrienne Dildine, of Niceville, Fla.; and three siblings: Joseph Dildine, of Ohio, Julie Sachs, of Wisconsin, and Janet Dildine, of North Carolina. Also surviving are sisters- and brothers-in-law and many nieces and nephews.
A gathering in celebration of Jim’s life is planned in several months. Donations in his memory may be made to the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.
