James “Jim” Edward Outram died on March 31, 2024, at Memorial Hospital in North Conway, N.H. at the age of 75.

Jim was born September 22, 1948, in Georgetown, Mass., the eldest child of Arthur Edward and Mary Louise Dawley Outram.

Jim graduated from Georgetown (Mass.) High School in 1966, and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 1970, BS Natural Resource Economics.
Jim started in the lumber industry as a teenager when he worked sticking boards for a small lumber mill in Massachusetts. He continued in the industry for his entire career, including stints with Diamond International, North Pacific Lumber, and Sprowl Brothers before joining Hancock Lumber in Casco, in 1985. He served Hancock as the vice president of Sales and Marketing for 20 years, and was a member of the company’s board of directors for four of those years. After leaving the industry, Jim assisted friends and associates, who continued to seek out his expertise and friendship.

Jim was a pioneer in Eastern White Pine (EWP), its markets and the product’s westward expansion, particularly during the Spotted Owl crisis in the 1990s. He spent many years as chairman of the Northeast Lumber Manufacturers Association (NELMA) Marketing Committee and was instrumental in establishing association-based national advertising campaigns for EWP. In 2010, Jim was honored with NELMA’s honorary life member award. He was a longtime member of the North American Wholesale Lumber Association (NAW- LA) Membership and Trader’s Market Committees, receiving the “Outram Award” in 2014 for outstanding recruitment efforts.

Jim was an avid outdoorsman. He was a lifelong hunting and fishing enthusiast, a longtime member of the Duchesne Hunting & Fishing Club, and passionate about sharing both experiences and stories with friends and family. He imparted his love of hunting and fishing to his children and grandchildren. Jim was a longtime pilot. He loved muscle cars and was an accomplished amateur mechanic.

Jim was predeceased by his parents. He is survived by his loving wife Cheryl; his daughter from his first marriage, Dawn Outram, and children, Nathan and Casey Boothby, Justin and Ashley Boothby and Amanda Boothby; grandchildren, Karlie, Kaela, Cyrus and Liesl; his sister, Sue Clohecy and her husband Glenn; and his nephew Michael Clohecy; and countless friends in and out of the lumber industry.

A graveside service will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jim’s name to Fryeburg Rescue, PO Box 177, Fryeburg, ME 04037. Jim’s gift of conversation and love of life will be dearly missed.