James Craig Yard

Obituary

James Craig Yard, age 56, of Quakertown, PA passed away on January 21, 2021 at Grand View Hospital, Sellersville, after a five-year battle with cancer. Jim was the loving husband of Deborah (Kovacs) Yard with whom he shared 33 years of marriage. Born in Abington, he was a son of Mary Ellen (Craig) Maynard and the late John S. Yard. He was also preceded in death by stepfather Robert Maynard. Jim ran the Learning Center at Delaware Valley University for 30 years and was an adjunct professor until his illness. For almost a decade, he volunteered as advisor for the Alternative Spring Break Club, personally driving students to destinations as far away as Texas and Michigan and working alongside them at Habitat for Humanity job sites during spring break. A graduate of Central Bucks High School West, Jim earned a BA from Albright College, where he was a member of Pi Tau Beta fraternity, and he attended York St. John University in York, England, as an exchange student. He earned an MA from the College of William and Mary and an MBA from LaSalle University. Dearly loved for his quick wit and humble, easygoing nature, Jim was known to recite anything from Wallace Stevens poems to long Monty Python skits by heart. A devoted husband and father, he enjoyed nothing more than spending time with his sons. He was a lover of fly fishing and taking trips to the beach and mountains. Ever curious, he was an avid reader who also loved cooking and baking, smoking meats, tending his vegetable garden, and brewing beer (he called one recipe "My Wife's Bitter"). He enjoyed playing the guitar, and he was teaching himself to play the banjo. Jim was a lifelong Philadelphia sports fan. Surviving with his wife are sons Nathaniel and Jacob, and beloved dog, Pickles. In addition to his mother Mary Ellen Maynard, also surviving are brothers John S. Jr. (Lisa), and Thomas (Jennifer); in-laws Carl and Amelia Kovacs, brothers/sisters-in-law Donna Kovacs, David Kovacs, and Douglas Kovacs (Laura) and John Yeager; 12 nieces and nephews and a great-niece. He will be dearly missed by a large extended family including aunts and many cousins. Services will be held at a later date. Memorial contributions in memory of Jim may be made to the James Yard Scholarship at Delaware Valley University, 700 East Butler Avenue, Doylestown, PA 18901. Memorials may also be made to Habitat for Humanity for a "Gift from the Heart," 322 West Lamar Street, Americus, GA 31709 or 1-800-422-4828. To honor Jim, his family requests all those due for a colonoscopy to please schedule it without delay. Special thanks to the staff at Alliance Cancer Specialists in Sellersville and Grand View Hospice for their tender care. Arrangements are entrusted to Naugle Funeral & Cremation Service of Quakertown.

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