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James “Jim” Michael Cagno
May 13, 2025
   
James “Jim” Cagno, beloved husband, father, coach, and friend passed away peacefully at the age of 77. Born in 1947 in Berkeley, California, Jim moved to Pleasant Hill during his early childhood, growing up as the middle child of Peter and Doris Cagno, alongside his older brother John and younger sister Joanne.
Jim proudly served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam era before returning home to raise five children and dedicate himself to coaching and mentoring countless young people throughout his life. A passionate outdoorsman, he found joy in nature, sports, and most importantly, in helping others grow.
In retirement, Jim cherished his time with his loving wife, fishing and enjoying rounds of golf, and casual trips around town where old friends always seemed to find him wherever he went.
He will be deeply missed by his five children: Chris, Josef, Brooke, Mike, and Peter, his sister Joanne; and his devoted and loving wife De.
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William (Randy) Sturgeon
Meeting Jim Cagno, my freshman year changed my life. He was interested in track and field and we spent much of the summer of ‘61 working out at the track. We tried everything we could: broad jump, high jump, and running hurdles. At some point, we discovered the pole vault pit and Jim said “let’s try this.”
There were only two problems: we did not have a pole, and the pit only had about a foot of well compacted sawdust.
Jim‘s dad or a family friend worked at the lumberyard on N. Main St. south of Geary Road, so we had access to a giant building with all the sawdust that was generated at the yard. We spent days shoveling it into bags, taking them to the track, and emptying them in the pit. We finally stopped when the sawdust was about 3 feet deep in the pit, and we could mound it a foot or so higher than that.
We then went to a few carpet stores and got some bamboo poles that the carpets were rolled-up around. They were plenty strong, but way too thick, 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter, but that’s all we could get. We stuffed one old athletic sock into another and pulled it over the large end, like a condom, for padding, and then wrapped adhesive tape around the pole higher up so it was easier to grip.
Now we had everything we needed, except knowing how to pole vault. We started very low, at 3 feet or so, and worked our way up to 5 or 6 feet. It got more difficult after that, but by the end of the summer we were up to 8 1/2 feet.
Another adventure with Jim was getting into the DVC gym and finding an indoor high-jumping pit. There was also a mini-trampoline just large enough to put one foot on. Before long we were running up to the pit, taking the last step on the tramp, and soaring over 7 feet (close to the world record at the time). It was quite a thrill !
Somewhere along the way that summer, Jim talked me into coming out for Cross Country and Track our sophomore year.
After the school year started, Jim talked with Coach McGuire and he gave us a Swedish steel pole with a little flexibility, and we worked our way up to 9 1/2 feet. A year or so later, I bought one of the first fiberglass poles for "under-weight" vaulters, but I was too light to bend it significantly.
Pole vaulting requires upper-body strength and since we were both 90 pound weaklings, we started doing pull-ups. Jim got to the point where he could do 15 or so. One day during PE class, we had a physical fitness test that included pull-ups. Jim said that he was going to "pull Mr. Timms leg", so when it was his turn, he "struggled" to do a couple pull-ups and then challenged Mr. Timms - if Jim could do 10 more pull-ups, Mr. Timms would do 50 push-ups (I don't recall the exact number, but it was very high). Jim rips off 10 or more pull-ups in short order and Mr. Timms gets down and does 40 push-ups, and then the last 10 one handed! Pretty damn impressive! Everyone had a good laugh.
Jim and I ran Cross Country and Track for three years. Even though it was difficult and I wasn’t very good, I enjoyed cross country because it provided an escape from other problems. Both these sports taught me the importance of taking care of myself and staying in shape physically. Fortunately, I’ve been able to run my whole life and enjoy the physical and mental benefits. I am very fortunate to have met Jim and have had him as a friend.
As happens all too often, we went our separate ways after graduation and I lost track (no pun intended) of him until he posted on this web site.
Barbara Bryant (Blume)
So sorry to learn of Jim's passing. My sincere sympathies to his family.
Barbara Bryant
Barbara Bryant (Blume)
I loved to read about your pole vaulting adventures with Jim. Made me laugh and smile.
Thank you for posting.
Barbara Bryant
Michelle Dell'Ergo (Aiken)
What great stories Randy !
Karen Rice
Thank you, Randy, for your stories about Jim. They are a loving tribute to him and a gift to your classmates.
James (Jim) Belding
Randy, thank you.
William (Randy) Sturgeon
You are all very welcome. Thank you for the kind comments.