James Michael Kiefer, 63, passed away suddenly on April 4, 2026, at his home in Middlesex with his wife, Julie, by his side.
Jim was born on April 17, 1962, in Catskill, N.Y., to Joseph Kiefer and Ann (Neuberger) Kiefer. He was the fifth of six siblings and grew up in Westerlo, N.Y. It was there that he fell in love with the game of basketball. He often laughed about skipping catechism to shoot some hoops with friends. This was a quiet conspiracy with his father, who would pick him up afterward. Jim played varsity ball for four years, even making it to the state semifinals in 1979 — a big feat in the state of New York. In 2019, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Berne-Knox High School.
After Jim graduated, he attended college for a while, then traveled around the country, eventually landing in Vermont. It is here that he started Kiefer Brothers Personalized Landscapes and bought a home, right down the road from his lifelong friends Robert, Scottie and Caitlin Brower.
Vermont is also where he found his tribe, his many basketball friends. They played pickup ball and competed in leagues and tournaments. These friends have high regard and respect for each other and have spent four decades supporting each other, celebrating special events and, of course, talking basketball. Jim was a boys’ varsity coach at Harwood and Stowe high schools. He also coached middle school girls at both U-32 and Montpelier and at the elementary level in Worcester. Whether it was at the varsity, middle school or elementary level, Jim put 100 percent into his coaching, spending hours prepping for practice, analyzing each game and creating lasting relationships with his players. Some of Jim’s biggest pleasures were discussing the Knicks games with his friends Robert Brower and David Miles and going to University of Vermont basketball games with his godson Miles Moore and mentoring his development as a ballplayer.
Jim met his wife, Julie Gray Kiefer, in 1989. They built their home in Middlesex and married on July 18, 1999. Their lives centered on each other, family, friends, pets, travel, UVM men’s basketball, and lots of love and laughter, always encouraging each other in personal and mutual pursuits.
In 2021, Jim was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). He had a stem cell transplant at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston in June 2021. Jim approached his diagnosis and treatment with courage, determination and a positive attitude. Julie was a constant support in his medical journey. He remained cancer-free for five years.
Jim found much joy in mountain biking. In the months following his stem cell transplant, he found solace and pleasure in creating a mountain biking trail in the woods behind his house and riding there and in Calais with his friend David and dog Roxy. Jim loved all aspects of riding: enjoying nature with friends, getting into the flow state, and improving his fitness and technical skills. He also took great pride in trail work, including clearing blowdowns, doing ad hoc maintenance, assisting with bigger projects like bridge building and, during the winter, the mechanized grooming of fat-biking trails.
Jim had a deep sense of curiosity. A lifelong learner, he decided to go back to college in his early thirties. He was always very dedicated to exercise and a healthy lifestyle. He earned his bachelor’s degree in health sciences from Johnson State College in 1995. He was accepted to both nursing and chiropractic schools but decided he wanted to continue with his passion, landscaping. Many of his customers have worked with him for 30 to 40 years, and he mentored many of his employees over the decades. Jim’s approach to landscaping was rooted in working closely with each client to create a landscape that was both beautiful and suited to a property’s unique conditions. Jim was loyal, passionate, precise, and had a deep understanding of land and stone. His beautiful stone walls, patios, steps and walkways will continue to provide pleasure to all who see them throughout central Vermont and are his lasting legacy.
Jim is survived by his wife, Julie; his dog Roxy; brother William Kiefer and wife Eileen; brother Thomas Kiefer; brother Joseph Kiefer and wife Amy Goodman Kiefer; sister Louise (Kiefer) Karzynow and husband Shura Karzynow; brother-in-law Joseph Marnell; brother-in-law David Gray; many nieces and nephews and grandnieces and -nephews; and friends. He is predeceased by his parents, Joseph and Ann Kiefer; his sister Joanne Kiefer Marnell; and dear friend Robert Brower.
In lieu of flowers, please consider planting something in your yard in Jim’s honor or making a donation to the Jimmy Fund at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
There will be a celebration of Jim’s life later this spring.