James Nordman

Madison- James Emery Nordman passed away peacefully on November 21, 2017. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Bill. Jim is survived by his wife, Clare, and their six children: Susan Nordman Oliveira & George Oliveira, and Joe & Tammy Nordman of Madison WI; Bob & Lisa, and John & Melanie Nordman of Rochester, MN; Cathy Nordman of Burnsville MN; Mary & Steve Levy of Alameda, CA. He was also blessed with 13 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren (Zachary, Ben, Jacob, Mason, Dan, Sam, James, Nicole, Tessa, Luke, Bea, Jason, Christi, Gabe and Michael).
On April 27, 1934 Jim was born in Quinnesec, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He was the second son of Alphonse and Rose (Christnagel) Nordman. In the spring of 1942 the family moved to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. His father was employed at the Manitowoc Shipyards which built submarines for WWII.
Jim graduated from Lincoln High School in 1952, Marquette University in 1957 and received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin in 1962. He then joined the faculty of the Electrical Engineering Department, teaching and mentoring scores of students. He and his graduate students contributed to many research advances in both low-temperature and high-temperature superconductivity. He continued to pass on his love of learning and sense of curiosity at the U.W. until his retirement in 1996.
In June of 1959 he married Clare Ann Bouda in Two Rivers, WI and their 58 years of marriage began in Madison. They had the adventures of raising six children in a neighborhood of special friends, living in Princeton NJ for a year, and going to Grenoble France for another year. Throughout his life Jim enjoyed singing, on his own and with the choirs at Blessed Sacrament Church and with the Choral Union at the U.W. He enjoyed working on cars, and in retirement he was able to focus on his 1941 Lincoln Zephyr convertible--giving him pleasure, challenges and more good friendships.
Jim was a loving husband and father, a soft-spoken teacher, talented musician, and creative engineer. He will be dearly missed for his sense of humor, patience while teaching, fatherly winks, and, always, a ready smile.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, November 27, 2017, at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 2115 Rowley Avenue, Madison, with a visitation one hour prior to the service. Memorials in Jim's name may be made to your favorite charity.


Cress Funeral Service
3610 Speedway Rd.
Madison, WI 53705