Jim Vinick, Difference Maker: An Appreciation

When Jim Vinick put his mind to doing something — whether it was the next iteration of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame or a statue in honor of the man who would be identified as the ‘Jimmy’ in the Jimmy Fund — he got it done.

And that’s just one of the character traits that people remember as they celebrate the life and accomplishments of Vinick, most recently the managing director of Investments for Moors & Cabot, who passed away earlier this month.

Mostly, they remember that he didn’t just get things done — he got them done right, the way he thought they should be done.

With the statue of Einar Gustafson (‘Jimmy’), that meant removing Red Sox slugger Ted Williams, a close friend, from the original plans for the piece — because it was the Boston Braves, not the Red Sox, that were originally associated with the nonprofit that raised money to battle cancer in children — and being steadfast in his efforts to have it located in a prominent area.

This determination to have things done his way sometimes ruffled people. Indeed, John Doleva, president and CEO of the Hall of Fame, who worked with and beside him for decades, said of Vinick: “while his exterior was gruff, his heart was pure.”

Indeed, it was, especially when it came to the Hall. For Vinick, it was literally a life-long passion.

“As a young teenager, he worked with his father, brother, and others to help establish the original Basketball Hall of Fame on the campus of Springfield College and since then has been a tireless advocate for the various iterations of the Hall,” Doleva noted. “He has served as our longtime finance committee chair and treasurer of the organization keeping a watchful eye on the Hall’s financial condition, and he helped guide the long-sought economic renaissance of the Hall and reveled in the current fiscal condition of the Hall and our growing impact on the game. He stands as the bedrock of the current Hall. He will be missed, but never forgotten.”

Those are sentiments shared by many, including those who tuned in to “The Vinick Report” on Channel 40, dedicated to financial literacy and helping viewers make smart, informed financial decisions. And those who worked with him on the Jeffrey Vinick Memorial Golf Tournament, staged in honor of his son, who lost his battle with a rare form of testicular cancer. And those who benefited from his many contributions to community institutions such as Jewish Geriatric Services, Temple Beth El, and the Willie Ross School for the Deaf.

Those sentiments explain why Vinick was honored by BusinessWest with its prestigious Difference Makers award in 2013. Only a few dozen people have earned that title, which is reserved for those who go above and beyond — in his case, with everything he did — and make this region a better place to live, work, and do business.

He certainly did that, and, as Doleva noted, he’ll be missed, but never forgotten.