It is with a measure of sadness, but great appreciation for a wonderful life that the Talbot family announces the passing of James Rex Talbot after a short battle with cancer on the 12th of February. He died peacefully at home in St. Leonard, MD, surrounded by loving family. Born the 15th of July, 1938 in Paragonah, Utah to Orson and Annie Talbot, he was the husband of Sandra Goodrich Talbot for 60 years, father of five sons, and beloved grandpa to seventeen grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

He is survived by his cherished wife Sandra, children Craig (Cynthia) of Leesburg, VA; Chad (Talli) of Peoria, AZ; Cary (Angela) of Vicksburg, MS; Christopher (Rebecca) of Nacogdoches, TX; Colin (Deborah) of Lovettsville, VA; and siblings Anna (Arnold) Mellor of Lake Shore, UT; Ardel (Julie) of Snowflake, AZ; Neil (Barbara) of Reno, NV; Judy (Carl) Henrie of Panguitch, UT. He is preceded in death by his parents Orson Talbot and Annie Gale, and siblings Beth Fairbanks, Brent, Gordon, and Bobby.

Jim was a loving, devoted husband and father, dedicated to serving his family and his savior. A faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he served the Church his whole life through various leadership callings, most recently as a patriarch and as a sealer in the Washington, D.C. Temple.

A civil engineer specializing in earth dam design, Jim worked for the U. S. Department of Agriculture for 35 years and then continued in consulting services through 2021. Jim's contributions to earth dam design are world renowned. He is credited with the development of several design features that have improved dam safety. He was awarded the prestigious Norman Medal by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1985, the highest honor granted by ASCE for a technical paper that makes a definitive contribution to engineering science.

Jim was an avid sailor and loved spending time on the Chesapeake Bay with family and friends on his boat Legacy.

Jim will be dearly missed by all his family, friends, and many other recipients of his love and service over the many years of his remarkable life. He lived great and died great in the eyes of his family, his church, and his community, above reproach and worthy of emulation.

The family will hold a memorial service on Saturday February 19, 2022 at 12 noon EST all are invited to attend through the zoom meeting link provided. https://zoom.us/j/92981651329