Capt USN Obituary

CAPT JAMES ANSLEY, USN (RET) A Sailor for the Ages James H. Ansley, Captain, United States Navy (retired), 14 January 1935 to 30 July 2025, passed away at the age of ninety. Almost seventy-five years of Jim's life are best described as uniquely devoted to the U.S. Navy. Enlisting in the Navy prior to finishing high school in Oglethorpe, Georgia, Jim rose from Seaman Recruit to senior Captain. Unique among his many accomplishments was his assignment to six commands at sea. This included: USS Mahopac in Yokosuka, Japan; and in Hawaii, USS McMorris, Service Squadron Five, USS Badger, Fleet Training Group Pearl Harbor, and USS Jason. As a nuclear and steam trained engineer, Jim served in other shipboard engineering departments and as Chief Engineer aboard the Seventh Fleet flagship, USS Oklahoma City. While assigned as an instructor at the nuclear training facility in Idaho Falls, he accepted his promotion from Chief Petty Officer to commissioned officer. After thirty-eight years of active duty and following his final assignment as Chief of Staff, Naval Forces Mid-Pacific, Jim and his wife, Masako, retired in 1989 to their home in Hawaii. As a civilian, Jim remained active in the community, as chairman of his community association and president of his rotary club while employed as a production engineer at Caterpillar. For the last twelve years of his life, Jim continued his support of the Navy as an instructor at Navigation, Seamanship, and Ship Handling Training (NSST) facility, Pearl Harbor where he remained until his death. He taught multi-grade officers in these skills, injecting common sense and leadership, all of which he was especially gifted in. Jim had the unique ability to inspire those who worked for and with him to perform at a level they hadn't realized they could. He was preceded in death by his wife, Masako, and he is survived by his daughter, Virginia (Ginni) Braddock; one grandson, Joseph (Danny) Hubbard and his wife, Meghan; and one great-grandchild, Alexandria-Rose. He is also survived by his brother Bill and his wife Sue.