Jim Case, longtime associate head athletic trainer during his more than three decades at Cornell, died March 14 at age 55.

Case worked closely with the football and men’s lacrosse teams and was part of fabric of both programs, working with countless student-athletes during his 32 years with the Big Red.

Born May 22, 1964, in Mt. Clemens, Michigan, Case received a bachelor’s degree in sports medicine, with a minor in exercise science, from Central Michigan University in 1986, and a master’s in physical education from Western Michigan University in 1988. He joined Cornell in August 1988.

He spent time as an intern with the Detroit Lions during his college years, and served on the training staffs of the 1990, 1994 and 1998 World Lacrosse team tryouts. He served as trainer for the 1994 national team at the World Lacrosse Championship in Manchester, England, then again in 1998 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Case stood tall for the Department of Athletics during some of its most challenging times. He was instrumental in the response to the death of men’s lacrosse player George Boiardi ’04 and helped the program find ways to honor his legacy. In recent weeks, he helped the department respond to the coronavirus outbreak.

Case is survived by his wife, Ladeen; three children; a sister; and two brothers.

Donations are being accepted to the Jim Case Memorial Family Fund, either electronically via Venmo (@JimCase-MemorialFamilyFund) or by mail to: Tompkins Trust Company, Jim Case Memorial Family Fund, c/o Thomas Cannon, P.O. Box 460, Ithaca, NY 14851. Checks may be made payable to Jim Case Memorial Family Fund