Sept. 1, 1929 - May 18, 2010SOUTH BEND - Br. James Giles Kinsella, C.S.C., age 80, died Tuesday evening at Dujarie House in Holy Cross Village at Notre Dame after an extended illness. He was born in Richmond, Indiana, on September 1, 1929, one of three children of Christopher and Mary (Weiss) Kinsella. He was baptized in St. Andrew Church in Richmond on September 15, 1929, and attended elementary school in the parish. He studied at Richmond High School and graduated from St. Joseph's Academy in Collegeville (Rensselaer), Indiana, in 1947. He attended Earlham College and St. Joseph's College and studied at Xavier University in Cincinnati for two years until 1952, when he was drafted into the Korean War. He served in the Army for two years at Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas, and Big Delta, Alaska. Br. James (who was known as "Giles" by his family) entered the Juniorate program at St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas, in June 1955 and then St. Joseph's Novitiate in Rolling Prairie, Indiana, in August 1955. He pronounced his first vows as a Brother of Holy Cross on August 16, 1956, and made his final profession in 1961. He completed his undergraduate studies at St. Edward's University and earned a bachelor degree in social studies in August 1958. Br. James' first assignment was to teach at St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio, for three years, then a year on the faculty at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis. In 1961 he joined the faculty at Boysville of Michigan in Clinton, Michigan, and worked there for the next seven years. In 1968 he joined the faculty at Holy Cross High School in River Grove, Illinois, for seven years, and did graduate studies in the summers at Ball State University. He then served on the staff of Silver Lake Farm in Rolling Prairie, Indiana, and in 1977 was assigned to teach at Reitz Memorial High School in Evansville, Indiana, for three years. He returned to his first assignment, St. Edward High School, in 1980 where he served for seven years as head of the print shop. A colleague there said James would be a multi-millionaire if he had charged a penny for every sheet produced in his machine. In 1987 Br James joined the staff at Le Mans Academy in Rolling Prairie, serving there until it closed in 2003. He then moved to Columba Hall at Notre Dame and after a short stay in the hospital in 2005, he moved to Dujarie House at Holy Cross Village. While at Le Mans Academy in 1996, Br. James suffered a severe aneurysm and was taken to LaPorte Hospital and was flown via emergency helicopter to Rush Hospital in Chicago for emergency surgery. He was in a coma for six weeks and then in a hospital for four months. After rehabilitation he returned to Le Mans Academy to resume his work as transportation director. Br. James was completely at home either in the classroom, behind a tractor at Silver Lake Farm, when running his printing press or transporting the cadets at Le Mans Academy. He possessed a Hoosier drawl and a sharp sense of humor. He was an uncomplicated person, genuinely warm and charming. He admired fine craftsmanship. He loved returning to Alaska whenever possible to visit. He often accompanied his good friend, Br. Charles McBride, on the sidelines of Notre Dame football games to assist in photographing the action on the field. He once commented about his favorite house, Columba Hall, "That's the place where no one is above anyone else, it has that wonderfully warm hospitality with the same spirit for all, whether members of the house or visitors." Br. James' personality and charming spirit certainly added to the hospitality, wherever he served. Visitation will be held with a prayer service and eulogy at Our Lady of Holy Cross Chapel in the Schubert Villa/Dujarie House complex at Holy Cross Village at Notre Dame this evening, May 20th, at 7:00 p.m. The funeral Mass of Resurrection will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, May 21st, at the same Our Lady of Holy Cross Chapel, with interment following at St. Joseph's Cemetery at the Village. Kaniewski Funeral Home is handling the arrangements. Memorial contributions in honor of Brother James to support the mission and ministries of the Brothers may be sent to Brothers of Holy Cross, Office of Development, P.O. Box 460, Notre Dame, IN 46556.