James (Jim) Marchant, of Blacksburg, passed away Jan. 17, 2026 at the age of 73 after courageously battling AL-Amyloidosis for five years.
Jim embodied the ultimate “renaissance” man whose hobbies included hiking, biking, amateur radio, woodworking, stained glass and listening to a wide variety of music from Celtic to country. He and Mary, his wife of 49-plus years, traveled throughout their lifetime, including biking in Hawaii and Scotland, and connecting with family in California, Canada, Italy and Scotland. A California native, throughout high school, Jim regularly hiked in Yosemite and later served in the Army National Guard in a Chinook helicopter unit.
Jim graduated from U.C. Davis with BS and MS degrees in Civil Engineering and worked respectively for the State of California and the Commonwealth of Kentucky as well as a consultant. Key projects included wetland restoration, inspection of dams, municipal infrastructure, and erosion control on projects throughout the world.
Jim is survived by his loving and supportive wife, Mary Marchant; his sister Nancy (David) Dedini and their children Lisa (Greg) Basinal and Lori (David) Morse; and brothers-in-law Tom (Karen) Bonzi and Mark (Carol) Bonzi and their children Emily, Mark Jr. and Michael Bonzi and Madelyn Tyman. Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Virgil and Margaret Marchant.
A celebration of life will be held Feb. 7, at 11a.m. at McCoy Funeral Home. If you wish to make a donation, the family suggests Warm Hearth Hospice, ARRL-the National Association for Amateur Radio or the Mono Lake Committee.
