Legendary University of Washington football coach Don James’ wife passed away due to lung cancer.
Donald Earl James, aka Don James, was an American football player and coach who served as the head coach at Kent State University from 1971 to 1974 and at the University of Washington from 1975 to 1992.
Highlights
- Don James passed away in 2013 at 80 due to pancreatic cancer.
- Carol James and Don James married in August 1952 while studying at the University of Miami.
- Don and Carol had three children: Jeff, Jill, and Jeni James.
James attended the University of Miami on a football scholarship and was the quarterback for the Hurricanes in 1952 and 1953.
He set Miami single-season records for completions (121), yards (1,363), and completion percentage (56.9%).
Later, in 1954, he earned a bachelor’s degree in education and was commissioned as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army.
James was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.
In 1997, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach. Sadly, James died of pancreatic cancer at his Kirkland residence at the age of 80 in 2013.
Don James And Carol James Were High School Sweethearts
Football coach Don James and Carol James, aka Dawgmother, first met in 1946 at Massillon Washington High School and became sweethearts.
Don was from Massillon, and Carol lived in Canton, a neighboring town in the historic cradle of Midwest football.
They attended the University of Miami together, where Don became the Hurriancanes’ starting quarterback in 1952, and Carol became a cheerleader.
Don and Carol married in August 1952, forming a union that lasted 61 years until the coach’s death.
Carol became a vital part of the Huskies’ off-field successes during her husband’s time on Montlake, fostering relationships with families in and around the community.
She was indispensable during the recruiting process as a host and representative of the program.
Since Don’s death, Carol continued to provide a strong connection for all who were part of that significant era in Washinton history.
The Husky community mourns the passing of Carol James and offers sympathies to the James family and all who knew her. pic.twitter.com/aLOngix7uI
— Washington Athletics (@UWAthletics) January 26, 2025
Sadly, Carol James also passed away on Sunday, January 26, 2025, at 92, due to lung cancer. UW athletic director Pat Chun poured a small tribute through his Facebook handle and wrote,
“On behalf of Husky Athletics, we share our sympathies with all who knew and loved the ‘Dawgmother,’ Carol James,” “Since arriving in Seattle with Coach James in 1975, Carol has been one of the Husky football program’s most gracious and welcoming ambassadors,” “She will be deeply missed.”
Pat Chun
Late Football Coach Don James And Carol James Were Blessed With Three Children
Don James and Carol James had three children: Jeni James Simmons, Jeff James, and Jill James Woodruff.
Jill James Woodruff, 69, was born in 1956 in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. During her childhood, she traveled from one college football town to another.
In 1994, she felt the Lord lead her to write a book about her experiences, particularly her battles with failing health, the powers of darkness, and God’s faithfulness in her life.
On the other hand, Jeni James Simmons is an Alaska Airlines flight attendant who attended Sammamish High School and later studied at the University of Washington.
Jeni is married to Lore Simmons, a solutions delivery manager at Blueprint.
Don’s son, Jeff James, has been serving as an automation engineer at Boeing since October 2016. Previously, he was an Applications engineer and account manager at KUKA Robotics.
He was a Sr. Systems Application Engineer and Senior training instructor at KUKA Systems North American LLC.
Currently, they are mourning the tragic death of their mother, Carol James.
Additional Information
- Don James was a graduate assistant for the Jayhawks at the University of Kansas under his former high school coach, Chuck Mather, and received a master’s degree in education.
- On October 10, 2004, James raised the Seattle Seahawks 12 flag before a game at Quest Field vs. the St. Louis Rams.
- In October 2017, the University of Washinton unveiled a bronze statue of James in the northwest plaza of Husky Stadium in Seattle.
