1959 – 2021
James Robert Pond, Director of Transportation for Monroe County, 62, passed away Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021. He was born Aug. 24, 1959, in Oak Park, IL to James Burton III and Marguerite (Scaer) Pond. Jim married Mary Alice Whiting on April 20, 1991. They celebrated their 30th anniversary this year.
Jim has been a member of Pittsford Community Church for over fifteen years, including six years as a trustee, and was actively involved in the church choir. He was involved in many community activities over the years, including riding with the Saturday morning bike group, playing keyboard for the band Nebula, hiking every Memorial Day weekend with the Tahawus Adirondack hikers, and volunteering at the LPGA and PGA whenever they came to Rochester. He was a life-long music lover, a train enthusiast, and a lover of nature. Jim always enjoyed a good dad joke. He loved to travel and had visited the 48 mainland states with his family. He rode his bike to work for eight years, often making new friends on the trail.
He worked for the Monroe County Department of Transportation for nearly 28 years, starting as a Senior Traffic Engineer and working up to the Director of Transportation for Monroe County. Prior to working for Monroe County, Jim was employed at Sear Brown for nearly five years. He served in the Navy from 1981-1987, at various duty stations including three years in the Seabees. He received a bachelor’s degree from Tulane University and a master’s degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Jim has been a member of the Institute of Transportation Engineers since 1987, and of the New York State Association of Transportation Engineers since 2012.
Jim is survived by his wife, Mary Pond, his son, Zachary James Pond, his daughter, Jennifer Allison (Pond) Hardy, and her husband, Michael Hardy. He is also survived by his mother, Marguerite Pond, his sister and brother-in-law, Jeanne and William Hepp, and niece and nephew Michelle and Brian Hepp. He is predeceased by his father, James Burton Pond III, and his brother, Christopher Pond.
A celebration of life for Jim will be held Sat. Oct. 16, 2021, at 2pm at Pittsford Community Church, 421 Marsh Rd., Pittsford. A private burial will be held for family only. In lieu of flowers, the family wishes that memorial contributions be made to either the Adirondack Mountain Club, Pittsford Community Church, or Gospel Volunteers Inc. at Camp-of-the-Woods, Speculator NY.