James Richard Sime

James Richard Sime

January 19, 1932 - January 22, 2026

James Richard Sime of Middleton, Wisconsin, passed away on January 22, 2026, just three days after celebrating his 94th birthday. A man who never let anyone else's labels define him, Jim lived authentically and taught those around him to do the same.

Born in Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin, to Adolph and Margaret (Hackett) Sime. His Norwegian grandfather, Thomas Sime, spent long hours with young Jim in the woods identifying plants along the Kickapoo River bottoms, sparking a lifelong passion for botany that would define much of his life's work.

Graduating from Boscobel High School in 1950, Jim attended the teachers' college in Platteville on a scholarship. His education was interrupted when he was drafted during the Korean War, where he served as an ambulance driver and aid station medic. He returned home in 1955 to complete his degree and become a science teacher.

In 1962, Jim began a 27-year teaching career at East High School in Madison, where he taught chemistry, physics, and mathematics. A union activist, he served on the teachers' first bargaining committee and co-hosted legendary spring backpacking trips to the Smoky Mountains for 17 years, sparking a passion for science in many students. Jim was the kind of teacher who climbed a tree with a chainsaw at 60 and hiked through a volcano at 84.

But it was in land conservation that Jim found his truest calling. Long before it became fashionable, he understood that land was priceless, not as a commodity, but as something to protect and steward for future generations. In 1965, he purchased his first parcel of what would become a conservation legacy spanning hundreds of acres across the Driftless region.

In 1976, Jim met Rose Schappek during the Madison teachers' strike when she opened her home across from East High to picketers. That simple gesture became a 50-year partnership in life.

Together, they conserved multiple parcels (600 acres) in the Driftless region through controlled burns, seed collection, brush cutting, and meticulous documentation of plants and animals. “We always loved going out (to the properties) with people because it was exciting to see how excited they would be,” Jim once shared. “We took a world-renowned lichenologist out there once. He was like a kid in a candy store.” They shared their knowledge and passion with anyone excited to see the remarkable biodiversity they had helped restore and protect.

In 2025, Jim and Rose donated the Boscobel Balds and Big Rock to separate land trusts, ensuring the wilderness they had spent four decades protecting would be forever preserved. Their generosity and lifelong dedication to conservation stands as an inspiring example of the positive impact individuals can have on the land and on each other.

Jim believed that life wasn't "a journey to the grave where you arrive all prettied up and in one piece, but one where you come sliding in sideways in a cloud of dust, your body all worn out and totally used up, yelling 'WOO-HOO, what a ride!'" And what a ride it was - filled with backpacking, canoeing, mountain climbing, and dancing with numerous family and friends well into his eighties. An avid traveler throughout his life, Jim’s adventures took him to the Himalayas and the Andes. Two highlights were 8 weeks with Rose and James in Alaska and, at the age of 90, a glorious 2 weeks with Rose, James and Kirsten in Norway that connected him back to his roots.

Jim is survived by his wife and partner in all things, Rose; his son, James L. (Kirsten Baldock) Sime of San Francisco; sisters Linda Mezra, Sandra (Marty) Martin, Sue Berger, Cathy (Roger) Cliff, Nancy (Ed) Wenning; brother Don Sime; sisters-in-law Jackie Sime and Marianne Schappek; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Adolph and Margaret Sime; his first wife, Diane Donahue; and brothers John, Melvin, and Robert Sime.

A memorial service celebrating Jim's life will be held in April, with details to be announced.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Driftless Area Land Conservancy, Mississippi Valley Conservancy, The Prairie Enthusiasts, Trout Unlimited, or a charity of your choosing; a fitting tribute to a man who spent his life giving back to the land and community he loved.

Jim taught those around him to walk softly in tall grasses without smashing the flowers beneath you, to leave every campsite better than you found it, and most importantly, to be unquestionably and unabashedly yourself. He never pretended to be something he wasn't, and he gave his son, James, and all those who knew him permission to do the same.

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