James (Jim) Charles Warren passed away peacefully at his home in Fairfax, Virginia, on January 12, 2026, after a two-year battle with cancer, at the age of 80.

Jim was one-of-a-kind, someone you had to meet in person to fully understand. His opinions were facts: there was no better place to be from than Iowa, and no better basketball player than Caitlin Clark. He read the newspaper cover to cover every day, was always excited about the newest technology, and was even more excited to shop for it. He was exceptionally kind and generous, dedicating his time and attention to his family. He was unwaveringly confident and held an optimistic outlook about the world, himself, and those around him.

Jim was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on July 28, 1945, to Cline and Helen Warren. He was one of four boys two older brothers, Lon and Tommy, and an identical twin, Jack. He was very proud of his Iowa roots. Growing up inseparable from Jack and surrounded by neighborhood friends his age, his childhood was spent outdoors in the fresh Midwest air, where he excelled at all sports, especially baseball.

He was an undersized but speedy outfielder and later a pitcher, idolizing Dodger legend Sandy Koufax and learning to pitch sidearm to imitate Don Drysdale. He often said no one could throw a baseball harder than he could and he truly believed it. In 1963, as a senior at George Washington High School, he led his baseball team to an 18–0 start, falling just short of the high school state title but winning the American Legion state championship months later.

Jim played baseball for two years at the University of Iowa. An arm injury shifted his focus fully to academics, where he earned his undergraduate degree in business and accounting in 1967.

That summer, Jim like thousands of young American men at that time was drafted by the U.S. Army to serve in Vietnam. Initially assigned as a helicopter mechanic, he cleverly convinced an officer to transfer him to the Finance Department. This spared him repeated tours in the field and allowed him to spend most of his time at the Bien Hoa and Long Binh base camps, working closely with friendly Vietnamese military staff.

After two years of military service, Jim returned to the University of Iowa to earn a Master of Arts in Finance and International Business, graduating in 1971. Excited to be done with school and to reunite with his brother, he moved to Honolulu, Hawaii.

It was in Hawaii that Jim met his wife, Janet. They enjoyed time together on Honolulu beaches and shared a memorable date at an Elvis concert before relocating to Denver, where they were married in 1981.

Jim and Jan had two sons, Justin and Shane, and once they arrived, Jim dedicated himself fully to being a father. He coached every sport, and no one threw better batting practice. If you ran into Jim, he would enthusiastically tell you about his sons’ latest games whether for a state title or local adult-league flag football and then update you on the latest ranking of their high school, even though they had graduated more than twenty years ago. His pride was genuine and without pretension.

Every year, Jim made sure the family could spend the summer in Hawaii. He would stay only a week before returning home to work, but he knew how important it was for his wife and boys to spend as much quality time as possible with family on the Big Island.

From Hawaii to Denver to Northern Virginia, Jim held many finance and accounting roles. He spent ten years at Western Nuclear, another ten at HOH Associates a small private landscaping firm and finished his career with 18 years at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. By the end of his career, work was just work; his family especially his grandchildren was his true passion.

After retirement, Jim could be found seated behind the backstop fence at his grandsons’ baseball games or in the front row of school theater productions, camera unabashedly out, recording his granddaughters’ performances. Dark chocolate was breakfast, and chocolate ice cream was the reason to finish dinner he was always shocked when a grandchild chose vanilla. Over the years, the walls of Grandma and Grandpa’s house filled with countless custom family photos. The basement transformed into a full game room ping-pong, pool, air hockey, darts, and an arcade console. The backyard featured a half basketball court and half wiffle ball field. Jim’s sons now throw wiffle balls to their kids with great skill, of course, though not quite as hard as Jim.

A celebration of Jim’s life will be held at Congressional Country Club (8500 River Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817) on Friday, April 10, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. All are welcome to attend.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Jim’s memory to the Hawkeye Scholarship Fund, supporting University of Iowa Hawkeye student-athletes:
https://hawkeyesports.evenue.net/give/SCH 

Jim is survived by his wife, Janet; his sons, Justin (Amanda) and Shane (Elizabeth); five grandchildren—Eleanor, Brandon, Cole, Kaia, and Aubrey—with a sixth on the way; his twin brother, Jack (Clara); and many loving family members and friends.