James L. Truslow IV, 85, Little Compton

Posted 3/6/17

James L. Truslow IV, 85, of Little Compton, died peacefully at his home in Little Compton on Saturday, March 4, 2017, surrounded by his loving family.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 26, …

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James L. Truslow IV, 85, Little Compton

Posted

James L. Truslow IV, 85, of Little Compton, died peacefully at his home in Little Compton on Saturday, March 4, 2017, surrounded by his loving family.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 26, 1932, the son of James L. Truslow III and Leigh Kendall Truslow. Jim attended “Le Rosey School” in Switzerland from 1946 to 1949, and graduated from Noble and Greenough School, Dedham, Mass., in 1950. He earned a B.S. from North Carolina State University in 1954 in Textile Engineering. Jim was elected to the soccer First Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference each of his four years at North Carolina State, and was team co-captain in his senior year. He was commissioned as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force and served on active duty as a pilot until the end of 1958.

Jim married Pauline Hibbard, “Pooka,” in Milton, Mass., in 1955, with whom he recently celebrated his 61st anniversary. After leaving the Air Force, he worked for Monsanto Fibers/Chemstrand Corp. in New York City for eight years in both the domestic and export markets, introducing nylon and Acrilan fibers.

Jim and Pooka lived in Brooklyn Heights, NY, and Pleasantville, NY, where they initially raised their four children. After joining Exxon in 1966, they moved their family to Barcelona, Spain for six years where Jim was general manager of Fibras Esso, which he rebranded as Nurel, S.A. and is still in operation today.

He then moved his family to Brussels, Belgium for three years where Jim was president of Essochem Belgium/Essochem Impex. Jim and his family returned to the US in 1975, where he was vice president of Exxon Chemical U.S.A. in Houston, Texas. This was followed in 1981 by 3 years in Mexico City as Exxon’s representative and president of Esso Mexicana, S.A.

After retiring in Little Compton, Jim served as the chairman of the Little Compton Planning Commission, vice-chair of the Little Compton Harbor Commission, a director on the Little Compton Agricultural Trust, and as the general manager of the Sakonnet Yacht Club for 14 years.

During his retirement, Jim continued his life-long enthusiasm for skiing, sailing, tennis and soccer. Jim was also a long time member of The Union League Club of New York, the Club Industriales of Mexico, the Sakonnet Golf Club, the Sakonnet Yacht Club and the Sakonnet Point Club.

In addition to his wife, “Pooka,” he leaves his son, James V, and his wife Melissa, of East Greenwich, RI, his daughter, Ann, and her husband, Duncan Mackintosh, of Lyme, NH, his son, Charles, and his wife, Mary, of Milton, Mass., and his daughter, Caroline Reece of Bristol, RI. He also leaves eight beloved grandchildren: Eliza, Justin, Charles Jr., Paige, Adelaide, William, James VI and Grace.

A memorial service will be held at St. Andrew’s-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, Little Compton, on April 1 at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, tributes may be made to Visiting Nurse Services of Newport and Bristol Counties, and Stay at Home in Little Compton, Inc.

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