Obituary

Dr. James Otis Brumfield, PhD
(October 17, 1939 - October 8, 2011)

Dr. James Otis Brumfield, PhD., 71, of Huntington, WV, passed away Saturday October 8, 2011, from cancer, at St. Mary's Medical Center, Huntington. Funeral services will be conducted at 1 pm Thursday at the Marshall University Campus Christian Center, the corner of 17th Street and 5th Avenue by Monsignor Lawrence Luciana. Entombment will follow in Woodmere Memorial Park, Corridor of Faith, Huntington. He was born October 17, 1939 in Huntington, WV a son of the late Millard Otis and Melita Alice Snair Brumfield.

Jim was the longest serving current faculty member at Marshall University. He was a member of the Department of Biological Sciences and this is his 48th year of service to the University. He had earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physics from Marshall University, a Master of Science Degree in Biological Sciences from Marshall University, and a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Geobiophysical Modeling form the Union Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio. He had been an Education Fellowship Recipient as a Faculty Fellow and Researcher in geomorphology and mining through NASA\ASEE-American Society of Engineering Education.

He was granted a Fulbright Fellowship to work in the Kyrgyz Republic. His cooperative discussions with scientists and administrators included interaction with Institutes of Geology, Biotechnology, and Biology and Soils of the Kyrgyz Technical University, the Slavic University, the Ministry of Ecology and Emergencies of the Kyrgyz Republic, and the International Science and Technology Center. Additional international cooperative efforts were with Dresden University of Technology, Germany and the University of Graz, Austria.

Jim was an innovator in the area of Geospatial Science and Image Processing at Marshall University. He founded courses in Remote Sensing, Image Processing, and Geographical Information System on campus through a thirty-plus year collaboration and friendship with Ralph Oberly of the Department of Physics and Physical Science.

He was also a former member of the Civil Air Patrol.

Survivors include two sons James Otis Brumfield, II and Scott Degler Burdette Brumfield both of Huntington; a daughter Ethelyn Michelle Brumfield of Huntington; adopted daughter Chuyen Nguyen of Huntington; three grandchildren David Blaine Brumfield, Rianna Michelle Brumfield and Evan Nicholas Brumfield; a brother Dr. Michael Andrew Brumfield and his wife Jane Brumfield of Lewisburg, WV; three nephews Chris Brumfield, John Brumfield and Michael Bennett; two nieces Amy Dick and Stephanie Fleshman; Jim will be sorely missed by special friends Chuck Summerville, Dean of the College of Science, Randy Jones, Ralph Oberly, Larry Kyle, Dick Petit and especially Chuyen Nguyen and a host of beloved students. Friends may call from 11 am until 1 pm Thursday at the Marshall University Campus Christian Center. Reger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.