OXFORD – Dr. James Patrick “Jim” Chambers, 47, died Sunday, March 13, 2016 in a fire at his home in Oxford. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday at 4 p.m. at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performign Arts with the Rev. David Bodenheimer officiating. A reception will follow at The Inn at Ole Miss. Visitation will be on Monday from 4-7 p.m. at Waller Funeral Home, which is in charge of arrangements.

A native of Silver Spring, Maryland, he earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, graduating summa cum laude, in 1990 from Georgia Tech, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity. He earned his doctorate in mechanical engineering from the school and was a Hertz Foundation fellow and E.I. DuPont fellow as a graduate student. He was associate dean for research and graduate programs in the University Of Mississippi School Of Engineering, an associate professor of mechanical engineering and a senior research scientist at the University’s National Center for Physical Acoustics. He joined UM in 1994 as a postdoctoral research associate at the National Center for Physical Acoustics and served as the center’s interim director during 2010-12. Chambers volunteered as committee member, crew adviser and STEM merit badge counselor for Boy Scout troops and Venturing crews in Oxford.

He was preceded in death by his father, Edward F. Chambers, and brother, Tommy Chambers.

He is survived by his wife of 25 years, Julie Morris Chambers of Oxford; sons William Chambers and Phillip Chambers, both of Oxford; mother Suzanne Chambers of Silver Spring, Maryland; brothers Ed Chambers of Frederick, Maryland and Matthew Chambers of Alexandria, Maryland; sisters Barbara Chambers McGolrick of Rockville, Maryland, Mary Chambers Straub of Glenelg, Maryland, Cecelia Chambers Ganon of Laurel, Maryland and Jenny Chambers Froh of Ellicott City, Maryland; four nieces and eight nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Yocona Area Council of Boy Scouts of America.

Two funds have been established to provide for his amily. They are available at https://www.gofundme.com/nzu5mm8k and https://www.gofundme.com/mcu487cs.

For more information or to sign an online guestbook, visit www.wallerfuneralhome.com or call 662-234-7971.