I remember playing on the floor in my dad's study listening to the Lieutenant Kije Suite while he was busy working.

Dad really enjoyed watching British murder mysteries on TV. Some of his favorites were Midsommer Murders and Endeavour.  He really liked the theme music from Endeavour. It's quite beautiful. Take a minute to listen. It's quite beautiful...

James (Jim) Frederick Voss was born in Chicago, IL on December 5, 1930, the son of Leo Carl Jr. and Lydia Emilie (Israel) Voss. He died at age 90 on March 14, 2021 in Seattle, WA. Jim married Marilyn Lydia Timm in June 1953 and they had five children: Barbara, Katherine, Mark, Carol and David.

Jim earned a B.A. from Valparaiso University, Indiana (1952); and an M.S (1954) and Ph.D. (1956) in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He started his career at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire (1956-1958) before moving to the College of Wooster, Ohio (1958-1963). In1963, he joined the Department of Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh where he became full professor in 1966. He served as department chair from 1968-1970. Jim became part of the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh’s Learning Research and Development Center (LRDC) and served as Associate Director (1985-1992). In 1979, he was recognized with the Distinguished Alumni Award from Valparaiso University.

Jim had a secondary appointment in Political Science and became an associate in the Russian and European Studies program at Pitt's University Center for International Studies (UCIS). As a Fulbright Distinguished Professor, Jim lectured in Moscow and Kiev, which, at the time, were part of the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics, U.S.S.R. Jim retired from the University of Pittsburgh in 1999. His distinguished career and passion for research resulted in more than 129 publications and over 10,000 citations of his published works.

In 2010, Jim moved to Seattle to live at University House-Wallingford retirement community. There he served as President of the Resident Council and led weekly sessions on current events.He loved classical music and was a regular attendee at numerous symphony and opera performances. He was a devoted Christian and member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of Fox Chapel, PA and Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church in Seattle.

Both Jim and his wife, Marilyn, played key roles to establish a chapter of the American Diabetes Association in Pittsburgh. During his life, Jim was committed to supporting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) to find a cure for Type 1 diabetes.

Jim had a passion for baseball. While growing up in Chicago he became a loyal Cubs fan often going to games at Wrigley Field. In 2016 he achieved his goal to see the Cubs win the World Series. While living in Pittsburgh, he was a coach of his son’s Little League Baseball team for several years. Jim also enjoyed football and cheered for his favorite teams, the Steelers and Bears.

Jim loved to play (and win) at bridge, pinocle, cribbage, Quiddler, and croquet. He was an avid reader who especially enjoyed mysteries and literature by Dostoevsky and 19th Century Russian writers.

Jim is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Marilyn. He is survived by his three daughters, Barbara Voss (and husband Frederick Dowd), Katherine Voss, Carol Voss; his two sons, Mark Voss (and wife Deborah) and David Voss (and wife Jennifer); his adopted daughter, Regina Burris; and his four grandchildren, Nathan Voss, Bethany Pierson, Max Voss and Sophie Voss.

Funeral arrangements were made by The Co-op Funeral Home of People’s Memorial, Seattle, WA. Jim was interred next to his wife, Marilyn, at Lakewood Memorial Gardens cemetery in Cheswick, PA.