James Merle Wineland

April 16, 1948 - January 28, 2022

Our beloved Jim passed away with his daughter Elizabeth by his side on January 28th, 2022. Jim had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for nearly a decade. We will miss him terribly, but what keeps us going is knowing that he is no longer suffering from the confusion and fear. We strongly feel in our hearts and souls that he is finally at peace. James Merle Wineland, otherwise known as Jim, was born April 16th, 1948 in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Despite coming from a poor background, he was so intelligent and driven that he received a full scholarship ride at Penn State University. He then moved to the Northern Virginia area to pursue his Master’s degree at American University. Jim was a computer specialist for the National Credit Union Association for almost 43 years. He was highly successful and loved his work tremendously. Everyone that knew Jim would agree that he had the kindest demeanor. Even with his illness, his tenderness and sweetness shined through. He would give all of what he had to everyone around him. He loved his family and his children dearly. Some of what reminds us of Jim is his love for pizza, ice cream, coke, and beer. He also loved music, specifically the Beatles. Any time we would play this for him he would smile, laugh, sing, and dance. He loved his dog Leila and boy did she love him for all the food he shared with her. We laugh remembering all the times he accused us of stealing his shoes, wallet, watch, and car. We also laugh at all the times he mistakenly ended up in the neighbor’s house thinking it was his own. These are just some of the memories we will carry on with us. Jim’s journey has been difficult on him and our family, but we wouldn’t hesitate to do it over again. Alzheimer’s changed our lives but Jim made every second worth going through. We are extremely happy that we were able to keep him home with us until the end. Jim leaves behind two grandsons, Liam James Chenari and Luca Pouriya Chenari. Although Jim was never able to retain what their relation was to him, his heart was always so loving and warm towards them. It will be our priority to keep his sweet memory alive so our boys will always know who their Papa was.