James Clarke Ketzle's Obituary
It is with profound sadness that we note the passing of beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend James Clarke Ketzle.
Jim was born in Jacksonville, Florida, the eldest son of H. Clarke and Nina Parramore Ketzle. Jim and his family moved in 1949 to Miami, which he then called home for most his life. He was a proud graduate of Miami Edison Senior School and Florida State University, which his mother had attended before him and where he was treasurer of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity.
After college, in 1964, Jim joined the Florida National Guard, 164th artillery group, where he learned, among many other skills, to write backwards for people on the other side of a Plexiglas board to read. He was honorably discharged as a sergeant in 1970.
The same year he joined the Guard, Jim became an auditor for the State of Florida, eventually being declared an honorary member of the Conch Republic for his many summers auditing Monroe County. He later served as controller of Florida International University, during which time he was selected multiple years to chair ICOFA (the Inter-institutional Committee on Finance and Accounting, an organization of university controllers). Jim was controller at FIU until his retirement in 1996, and he was duly proud of the university’s growth during his many years there.
Jim served his community through his active membership in Christ Congregational, Coral Gables Congregational, Plymouth Congregational, and Miami Shores Community Church. He was a lifelong fan of college and professional sports, and he especially loved baseball.
Jim is survived by his wife of 60 years, Cynthia Hawkins Ketzle; sons Jeffrey Clarke Ketzle of Virginia and Paul Laurence Ketzle of Utah; brother Henry (Patty); daughter-in-law Marcia Dibble Ketzle; many beloved friends and extended family; and the great joy of his life, his four grandchildren.
A celebration of life will be held March 15 at Christ Congregational Church in Miami. In lieu of flowers, family asks that donations be made to cancer research.
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