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Augsburg remembers "JC," dedicates plaza near athletic facilities in Carey's honor
By Don Stoner, Augsburg Sports Information Coordinator But she added that, once she read the quotation, she understood why it meant so much to James Carey, known to virtually everyone on the Augsburg College campus as "JC." He was the kind of person who always looked out for others before himself, the kind of person whose every action was done for the betterment of everyone -- his family, his college, his world. So it made perfect sense to include the quote as part of a special plaza dedicated in Carey's honor on Monday. The plaza, now known as "JC's Place," is in front of the Augsburg Ice Arena and adjacent to Si Melby Hall, two places the late director of athletic facilities at Augsburg loved and devoted most of his adult life to creating and improving.
"I found that working with JC, especially on the ice arena and football field, in working to try to improve those things, I found that he was one person who had a creativity that few of us have," said Jeroy Carlson '48, senior development officer at Augsburg who helped to develop the school's athletic facilities over the past four decades. "Augsburg is something you feel, it becomes your lifestyle. I feel that Augsburg was JC's lifestyle," Carlson said. Carey was an Augsburg employee for 30 years, managing the college's three athletic facilities -- the two-rink Augsburg Ice Arena, Si Melby Hall and Edor Nelson Field. He died at age 54 on Sept. 13, 2003, of heart failure, leaving behind his wife Sharon, two children, two sisters and a host of admirers, friends and colleagues, not only at Augsburg, but throughout the Twin Cities.
"Whether family member, friend or colleague, coming together to celebrate JC's 30-year contribution and commitment to Augsburg College feels so good," he said. "I suppose it has to do with the fact that, in some ways, Augsburg seemed like JC's second home." Kent said that, through his running and friendship with Carey, he learned many important life lessons: "Be personal, connect with as many people as you can and show them that you care. "Life is short. Say what needs to be said and do it loudly. "Be sensitive, compassionate and positive through the tough times and they won't seem so bad. You might even learn something and wind up enjoying it. "The most important lesson ... Never be afraid to talk about your faith and spirituality. While we shared a common spiritual love for nature, being outdoors and endurance activities, we also talked a lot about our religions and others we often knew little about." Kent remarked that Carey was one of the first individuals he felt comfortable talking about his faith, as a Jewish employee at a Lutheran college. He joked that the two often talked about putting an article in the student newspaper titled "Ask the Jew and Catholic," and that he became more comfortable and happy about working at a place as open as Augsburg through his friendship with Carey. Carey worked extensively with Augsburg intercollegiate and intramural sports programs, in addition to the Twin Cities sporting community, through rentals of Augsburg athletic facilities. He was active in the Minnesota hockey community as a referee, coach (he served as an assistant coach of the Augsburg's men's hockey team in the late 1970s) and as one of the key people in the development of women's hockey at Augsburg in 1995.
He was also a strong supporter of his student employees, who worked for him during events and day-to-day operations of the athletic facilities. One of those former student workers, Laura Simones, delivered a special poem that seemed to capture the love that so many people had for JC. The poem is below: Who is this man we all mourn for today
His life was an open book Be with them today, Lord, I pray But the race he is running has now been completed May we now take with us all that he gave I love you JC -- thanks for sharing your life with me!
To return to Augsburg Athletics, click here Augsburg College, a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, is a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III. This is the official web site for Augsburg
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I expect to pass through life but once. If, therefore there can be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again. (William Penn)
A large group of friends and colleagues gathered in the plaza to honor Carey, share memories and dedicate the renovated space. New landscaping, two large rocks with memorial plaques, and a seating area are new features in the plaza.
Benjy Kent, director of academic advising and former men's and women's soccer coach at Augsburg, was one of Carey's closest friends. Both were avid runners, and could often be found traversing the streets and parks around the Cedar-Riverside and West Bank areas. 
Being all he could be
