Obituary of James Charles Kautz

James C. Kautz, 86, died at home in Tucson, AZ on January 10, 2018 due to complications of Parkinson's disease. Jim's abiding curiosity, respect for others, integrity, wisdom and work ethic made him a force throughout his life. Born in Cincinnati on March 3, 1931, Jim graduated from University of Cincinnati (UC) in 1953 and served as an Army lieutenant in Korea. He earned an MBA from Wharton and in 1957 married Caroline Miller. Jim and Carol had two children, Leslie and Daniel, and lived in Cincinnati as Jim worked at P&G and a family business. In 1966, Jim took a gamble and joined a Goldman Sachs training program in New York. His choice paid off in a rewarding career, global horizons, and treasured colleagues; Jim retired as a General Partner and head of fixed income sales in 1987. Jim was a founder of Sage Capital Management and an original investor and director of Boston Beer. Jim and Carol founded the Kautz Family Foundation in 1982 to share their good fortune and further their values of inclusion and social justice. Jim cherished his work with non-profits, including Vassar College (Board Chair), Chair of UC Foundation, National Geographic Society, Storm King Art Center, and many others. Carol passed away in 2010; Jim remarried a former classmate and long time friend, Mary Nickerson, in 2012. They became active members of St. Philip's in the Hills and developed strong alliances with Tucson non-profits. These included AZPM, Emerge!, Food Bank of Southern Arizona, January 8th Memorial, Literacy Connects, Old Pueblo Community Services, Reid Park Zoo, Tucson Art Museum, Tucson Botanical Garden and many others. Jim is survived by his wife, Mary Nickerson Kautz, his two children, Leslie Kautz of Los Angeles and Dan Kautz of Tucson, their spouses Jack Weiss and Penny Kautz, and four grandchildren, Mollie Weiss, Lucas Kautz, Jacob Weiss, and Matthew Kautz. A celebration of Jim's life will be held at St. Philip's in the Hills Episcopal Church on February 24, 2018 at 11 am. In lieu of flowers, please consider designating a gift in Jim's memory to a charity that supports his values or to the James Kautz Memorial at the UA Foundation which will provide outreach programs for K-12 math teachers through the Center for Recruitment & Retention of Mathematics Teachers (CRR)