Family of deceased James Ralph "Jim" McNelis to receive at funeral home Feb. 12

James Ralph “Jim” McNelis, a retired senior vice president of Commerce Clearing House and a member of the NPC for some 35 years, died Jan. 29 at his home in Solomons, Md. He was 94.

"The Press Club was such a big part of his life," said his daughter, Judy Szynborski, who recalled attending father/daughter dances at the Club when her parents lived in Washington, D.C. He lunched almost daily at the Club and was a frequent participant in Club trips, including those to Yugoslavia, Russia and China. He was a member from the early 1950s until his retirement from the Clearing House in 1987.

McNelis escaped poverty during the Great Depression when chosen to live in Arthurdale, W.Va., the first of 100 homestead communities built by the federal government under the advocacy of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. He attended an experimental school where he met Mrs. Roosevelt, who helped him find work in Washington and with whom he maintained a longtime friendship. McNelis was born in Uniontown, Pa., and was a combat veteran of the U.S. Army serving in Europe during World War II. He had a degree in journalism from George Washington University.

Survivors include daughters Judy Szynborski and Christine McNelis, both of Lusby, Md, and Lee Ann Woodcock of Springfield, Va.

The family will receive friends on Friday, Feb. 12 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Rausch Funeral Home, 20 American Lane, Lusby, Md.