Jim Neese (1930-2014) was a football player who became devoted to the sport of wrestling. While playing the fall sport in middle school, high school, and college, Jim always worked out with the wrestling team in the winter, believing (correctly) that wrestling practice made him better on the gridiron. His experience in the "padded room" returned to him as an adult, when he served 35 years or more as an official, mostly in the Richmond area, while enthusiastically promoting the sport. Football and wrestling also prepared him for the Korean War. His undergraduate years at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA, were interrupted by a tour of combat duty as a corporal in the US Marine Corps. Upon his return, he continued his education with graduate school at West Virginia University's Department of Geology. At this time, he developed his avocation by officiating matches while still at WVU. He then began his 30-plus years in the heavy equipment industry while raising three children with his wife, Joan. Settling in central VA, Jim was a highly regarded official, sought after for both high school and college matches. Nor did he limit himself to refereeing: through his association with local leaders such as Ray Long, Drew Bright, and Ernie Venturino, he was a key figure in the region's rapid expansion of interest and participation in wrestling in Richmond. Though advancing age eventually brought an end to his active officiating, Jim's bond with the sport never weakened. He continued to follow and show up at matches and tournaments, especially enjoying the Central Region finals (HS) and the NCAA Nationals. Jim's family is filled with pride at this celebration of his distinguished career as an official. They are grateful to the Virginia Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame for this honor.