James Herbert “Jim” Steane II, 81, died on Aug. 1, 2026, in Vail, Colorado. 

Jim was born on Nov. 1, 1944, in Hartford, Connecticut, to H. Welles Steane and Janette Goodwin Austin Steane. He graduated from Kingswood School in West Hartford, Connecticut in 1962 and from Lehigh University in 1966. He later earned his MBA from Adelphi University in 1971.

From 1966 to 1969, Jim served his country in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, attaining the rank of First Lieutenant. His service reflected the sense of duty and commitment that remained central throughout his life.

Jim began his career at Stowe and Webster Securities, where he worked from 1969 to 1971, followed by Travelers Life Company from 1971 to 1972. He then built a distinguished career in banking from 1972 until his retirement in 1999, serving through the successive organizations of Hartford National Bank, Shawmut, Fleet, and Bank of America.

Generous with his time and talents, Jim gave many years of service to organizations that mattered deeply to him. His community involvement included Junior Achievement of Hartford, Connecticut; the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Vail, Colorado; and the American School for the Deaf, where he served from 1975 to 1999. He was a Kingswood-Oxford trustee from 1986 to 1996 and served faithfully as the Class of 1962 agent from 1968 onward. For 21 years, he also welcomed others to the mountain as a Vail skiing host.

Jim embraced life with enthusiasm and especially enjoyed playing golf, skiing, and boating. He was a member of the Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club and Boothbay Harbor Country Club in Maine, as well as the Game Creek Club in Vail. Whether on the water, on the slopes, or on the golf course, he treasured time spent with family and friends.

Jim is survived by his wife, Marilyn P. Steane of Vail, Colorado; his daughter, Jennifer Dreisch, and her husband, Dave, of Maui, Hawaii; his son, Jeffrey Steane, and his wife, Cindy, of Boothbay Harbor, Maine; his grandchild, Morgan Steane of Boothbay Harbor; his sister, Jane Griffin, and her husband, Donald, of Boothbay Harbor, Maine, and Sarasota, Florida; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. 

Jim will be remembered for his devotion to family, his steady leadership, his spirit of service, and the joy he found in friendship and an active life. His influence will endure in the institutions he supported, the communities he strengthened, and the lives of those who knew and loved him.

A private graveside service will be held at Evergreen Cemetery in Boothbay, Maine. A celebration of Jim’s life will be held in the summer of 2027, with details to be announced.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Jim’s memory may be made to Kingswood-Oxford School, 170 Kingswood Road, West Hartford, CT 06103, or to Ocean Point Colony Trust, P.O. Box 642, East Boothbay, ME 04544.

Arrangements are entrusted to Hall Funeral Home and Crematory, 975 Wiscasset Road, Boothbay, Maine. Condolences may be shared with the family at www.hallfuneralhomes.com.