ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — James David Carnahan, 62, of St. Petersburg, Fla., formerly of Cochranton, passed away on Friday, Nov. 12, 2010. For several years he valiantly fought to “live” with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease). Despite the many challenges it presented, he remained the beautiful and positive individual we so dearly loved. Throughout his illness, Jim remained courageous and at home in the loving care of his family and Hospice.

Jim was born Jan. 17, 1948, in Brookville, to David Maxwell Carnahan and wife Kathleen Margaret Showers. Jim attended Cochranton Area Joint High School, where he was involved in many sports and club activities. He was a member of the band and chorus, and active in Student Council. Jim was politically active at an early age. In 1962, at age 14, he led his civics teacher’s successful bid for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. By 1964, Jim was president of the Teenage Republican Club of Crawford County. He graduated with honors in 1965, and was awarded the J.W. VanDyke Scholarship to assist with his undergraduate education.

Jim enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh, where he was a dean’s list scholar. He attained his bachelor of arts degree in political science, with honors, in 1969, and carried a double minor in psychology and sociology. His many activities included freshman adviser, chairman of the School Traditions and Spirit Committee, president of his dormitory, and co-chairman of the Pitt Preview. An all-around athlete and gymnast, Jim was also a member of the Pitt Cheerleading Squad.

While at Pitt, Jim was active in the Pennsylvania gubernatorial campaign of Raymond Philip Shafer, and, in 1967 he attended the Inaugural Ball in Harrisburg. During this time, Jim also was appointed Harrisburg city chairman for a new organization called the “New Majority for Rockefeller,” which was part of a national organization formed to promote young voter support for presidential candidate/New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller. His role was to coordinate major campaign activities in the Harrisburg area and to select city committeemen for the organization. Gov. Shafer then appointed Jim to a student coalition composed of representatives from 13 other colleges who twice met with President Richard M. Nixon. The coalition organized a white paper report on urban colleges and their interaction within their local communities. Among the coalition’s proposals was the immediate end to the Vietnam War.

It was a time of conscription in the United States. Jim opted to enlist in the U.S. Coast Guard and served four years of active duty between 1969 and 1973. Beginning at Cape May, N.J., he obtained the highest score in recruit training requirements and was named “Company Honor Man.” In 1970, he received the Award of Excellence during his training at Governor’s Island, N.Y. Then in 1972, while serving as director of Auxiliary, 9th Coast Guard District, Western Region, in Milwaukee, Jim was awarded the Coast Guard Achievement Medal for outstanding achievement and superior performance of duty, and for demonstrating outstanding professional knowledge, administrative ability, leadership and devotion to duty. He was also awarded the National Defense Service Medal. Jim continued to serve in the Coast Guard Reserves until May 1975.

Following his active duty, Jim learned the fundamentals of glass cutting and worked many hours designing or repairing, buying, cutting and soldering stained glass. He also spent time exploring the country he loved so much. He had very special remembrances of friends and life in Frog Hollow, Pa.; Aspen, Colo.; Berkeley and Eureka, Calif.; and Key West, Fla. He attended post-graduate courses in mass communications at the University of Miami before settling in St. Petersburg.

His corporate career began with the City of St. Petersburg, in its Office on Aging at the Sunshine Center, where he worked as an information specialist. In this role, he also organized and advocated senior citizens’ sale of their hand-made crafts at the center. During this time, his political interests continued in Florida. He actively supported Corinne Freeman’s campaign for mayor of St. Petersburg, and was a county co-chair for Bob Graham’s gubernatorial campaign. Gov. Graham asked Jim to submit recommendations on aging issues for the 1980 Governor Conference on Aging. Jim continued to contribute his time and talents to the benefit of his community, with active participation in matters of concern to the city and the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce. While active in the Chamber, Jim served as co-chair of the Community Alliance, a committee comprised of an equal number of white and black members. Its purpose is to establish and maintain communication among whites, blacks and other minorities and to identify and resolve problems pertaining to employment, small business, education, governmental representation, drug problems and housing. He also completed Leadership St. Pete, an intensive six-month program that fosters the personal development of community leadership skills.

Between 1979 and 1987, Jim was employed by Bayfront Medical Center, where he ascended to the position of director of public relations. In 1983, Jim received the Grand All-Suncoast Golden Image Award from the Tampa Bay Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association. During Jim’s tenure, Bayfront hosted nearly one-half of all births in the county, offered neo-natal care in conjunction with its neighbor, All Children’s Hospital, and undertook a $27 million construction and renovation program that included the addition of an emergency trauma center and a 40,000-square-foot cardiac care facility. The hospital also offered a large number of health care and family education programs, including courses for expectant and/or single mothers and adopting families.

In 1987, Jim was employed by the St. Petersburg Times as a salesman in the National Advertising Department, where his accounts included manufacturers of the leading branded and specialty food products as well as the nation’s largest fashion, cosmetics and home furnishing retailers. His work at the newspaper culminated in the position of retail advertising manager, where he managed a sales force and also developed large-scale and customized advertising programs for retail accounts in the St. Petersburg market. After leaving the Times in 2006, Jim became a licensed Florida Realtor and worked in sales and consulting before the relentless progression of his ALS.

Jim married Jo Claire Spear in 1985. The birth of their healthy daughter, Caitlin Nicole, in 1994 brought the greatest gift and a life fully complete. Caitlin was a tremendous joy to Jim and he basked in her accomplishments, whether on the soccer field, the ski slopes or as valedictorian of her class. Jim believed if you decide to do something, then do your best, and he employed this principle in nurturing Caitlin’s development.

Jim was reverent to all forms of life — plant and animal. He was a life-long vegetarian. In addition to his appreciation of animals, art and music, Jim’s many hobbies and interests included organic gardening, windsurfing or boating on Tampa Bay and skiing in the Rocky Mountains. His passion for snow skiing continued throughout his life, and he made numerous trips out West, with close friends and family. His love of the outdoors and the sense of freedom were amplified when he was in the mountains or on the water, in harmony with nature’s gifts. He was an avid sports fan and he continued to support his teams — the Pittsburgh Panthers, the Tampa Bay Rays and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — even when they were not at their best!

Jim is survived by his wife, Jo, and amazing daughter, Caitlin; and loving brother, Gary Lee Carnahan and his wife Judy (Spencer) of Montana. Jim was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Donna M. Carnahan. However, with the premature passing of his father and the remarriage of his mother to Bernard M. Frick in 1960, Jim’s family grew to include four stepsiblings, Christina Gardner and Dennis Frick, both of Virginia, and Marci Javril and Amy Morro, both of California.

A private memorial service will be held at a future date.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The ALS Association, Development Department, 27001 Agoura Road, Suite 250 Calabasas Hills, Calif. 91301, or online at alsa.org. As Jim would say in all earnest, “Let’s strike out ALS.”