James Pinar

James “Jim” Pinar, age 79, of Gladstone, passed away Friday, April 9, 2021 at U.P. Health System - Marquette. He was born on March 6, 1942 in Escanaba, the son of Nicholas and Mary (Schenk) Pinar. Jim grew up in Wells and was a 1960 graduate of Holy Name High School where he played for the Escanaba Hawks, and the Holy Name baseball and football teams. He went on to attend Northland College on a football scholarship and also played hockey. Jim graduated in 1964 from Northland College with a Degree in Education. He taught and coached for 5 years with the Gladstone School System and later with the Escanaba Area Public Schools. Following his teaching career, he went to WLUC TV6 in Marquette as a sports and weatherman. In 1969, Jim was hired with WDBC in Escanaba as an early morning guy with Joe DeMay and began broadcasting sports. For over 20 years, Jim was the voice of the Escanaba Eskymos. In 1989, he was hired at Northern Michigan University as the Sports Information Director and spent 14 years in broadcasting football, and both men’s and women’s basketball. He retired in 2002 from NMU. Jim returned back into broadcasting sports until 2018. He was honored and inducted into the Eskymos Wall of Fame in 2013 and the U.P. Sports Hall of Fame in 2007. James Pinar married the former Sharon Wolfgram on October 13, 1989. Together, the couple shared 31 years of marriage. Jim was a member of the Delta County Jaycees and the Escanaba Kiwanis Club, was a former member and avid golfer of the Gladstone Golf Club, the Terrace Bluff Golf Club, and the Marquette Country Club.

Jim Pinar is survived by his wife, Sharon Pinar of Gladstone; children, William Pinar of Pickford, MI, and Sherrie (Mike) Woelffer of Green Bay, WI; step-children, Jeff (Char) Greenlund of Zeeland, MI, Tracy (Greg) Zekoff of Pheonix, AZ, and Pam (Tim) Cavadeas; 4 grandchildren, Hannah (Juan) Vargas, Holly Pinar, Caden Woelffer, and Peyton Woelffer; 1 great-grandchild, Santi Vargas; 5 step-grandchildren, Matthew Greenlund, Michael (Crissa) Greenlund, Mikayla Greenlund, Cooper Cavadeas, and Paige Cavadeas; siblings, John (Sherry) Lawrence of Marquette, John (Lois) Pinar of Escanaba, Kathy (Gary) Winchester of Escanaba, Paula (Gary) Buckley of Escanaba, and Nick Pinar of Escanaba; former wife, Nancy Pinar; special cousin, John “Yonko” Kroll; and many nieces and nephews.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Nicholas and Mary Pinar.

Private family funeral services will be held at the Anderson Funeral Home in Escanaba with Rev. Terry Frankenstein officiating. The family would like to extend a special thank you to U.P. Health Care, Dr. C. Raveesh, and Dr. Thomas Huffman of Marquette for all of the years of excellent care given to Jim. 

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