Bill Mongelluzzo, Associate Editor | Jan 04, 2012 1:33PM EST
James H. McJunkin, who directed the Port of Long Beach from 1977 to 1988, a period of rapid growth, died Monday. He was 82.
Under his leadership, Long Beach grew rapidly to become one of the top container ports in the U.S., largely because of increased intermodal train service. McJunkin, who joined the port in 1963, was instrumental in development of the Intermodal Container Transfer Facility and the Alameda Corridor in Southern California.
Before joining the Port of Long Beach, McJunkin was director of the Northern California Ports and Terminals Bureau and also served as traffic manager at the Port of Sacramento. He worked for many years as a maritime industry consultant after retiring from the Port of Long Beach.
McJunkin was born in Gallup, N.M.. He attended elementary school on a Navajo reservation in Arizona and high school in Winslow, Ariz. He graduated from the University of Arizona in Tucson in 1951 and later served in the Navy.
Survivors include his widow, Mary, and children Sarah, Martha, James and Joseph. Services will be held 10:30 a.m. Friday at St. Cornelius Catholic Church, 5500 E. Wardlow Road, Long Beach. Burial will follow at All Souls Cemetery, 4400 Cherry Ave., Long Beach.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
-- Contact Bill Mongelluzzo at bmongelluzzo@joc.com. Follow him on Twitter @billmongelluzzo.
