James H. Chesebro

James Herbert Chesebro

June 4, 1940 – February 26, 2026
Dr. James (Jim) Herbert Chesebro of Newton, Massachusetts, passed away on February 26, 2026, at the age of 85. He will be remembered for his kindness, patience, and unwavering dedication to his family and to helping others.

Born on June 4, 1940, to Robert E. Chesebro, Sr. and Helen (Prange) Chesebro, Jim grew up in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. He graduated from Sheboygan North High School in 1958 and went on to Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, where he earned a degree in chemistry in 1962. In school he played the bassoon, pole vaulted, and ran cross country. He spent the summer of 1962 in Vienna, Austria, training with a local track and field team and putting his German language skills to use. Jim received his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine in 1966 and completed his internal medicine residency at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New York. It was there that he met Christine (Maslinski), a nurse, and they were married in Syracuse, NY, in 1969.

From 1968 to 1970, Jim served in the U.S. Army as a medical officer. He was stationed at Fort Dix and Fort Monmouth in New Jersey, before completing a one-year tour in Chu Lai, Vietnam, where he served as chief of anesthesia, tended to the wounded, and even delivered triplets. He received the Bronze Star Medal for his service and retired with the rank of Major.

Following his military service, Jim completed a cardiology fellowship at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota, and joined the Mayo Clinic’s Division of Cardiovascular Disease. His research focused on atherosclerosis and the prevention of blood clots following heart surgery. While in Rochester, he served as president of the Minnesota Affiliate of the American Heart Association.

In 1992, Jim accepted positions as Associate Director for Clinical Research at Massachusetts General Hospital and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston. In 1994, he joined Mount Sinai Hospital and School of Medicine in New York as Professor of Medicine and Associate Director for Clinical Research at the Cardiovascular Institute. He also held positions at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and later at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, retiring in 2012. Over a long and distinguished career as a cardiologist and researcher, Jim published more than 200 articles and presented his work at conferences around the world.

During 57 years of marriage, Jim and his wife Chris shared a love of travel, visiting many countries together while Jim attended medical conferences. His children will always remember accompanying him on his work trips, skiing with him in Colorado, helping at the barbecue, and seeing him cheer them on - stopwatch in hand - as a dedicated timer and spectator at their swim meets. In his free time, Jim enjoyed skiing, golf, tennis, sailing, windsurfing, fishing, and time at the family cottage in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. A man of faith, Jim also volunteered as a lector at Saint Ignatius Catholic Church.

Jim is survived by his wife, Christine Chesebro of Newton, MA; daughter Karin E. (Chesebro) Field (spouse Anthony Field) of Toronto, Canada; sons Jonathan M.J. Chesebro (spouse Laura Mowrey Chesebro) of Takoma Park, MD; David W. Chesebro (spouse Inés Ellis-Guardiola) of Brooklyn, NY; and William R. Chesebro (spouse Caitlin Powalski) of Buffalo, NY; brother Robert (Bob) E. Chesebro of Sheboygan, WI; eight grandchildren (Vanessa, Quentin, Clarice, Jesse, Isabel, Emma, Laia and JW) and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held on Monday, April 13, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at Saint Ignatius of Loyola Parish, 28 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA. A private burial is planned for a later date in Sheboygan, WI.

Donations in Jim’s memory can be made to the American Heart Association (heart.org or 1-800-242-8721).

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