James F. Kerivan was a genuine family man and farmer. Those were his true passions. He passed away at home in Strafford, NH on August 7, 2026, at the age of 78. He was born on April 7, 1948, in Boston, MA and was the son of the late Rita M. O’Grady Kerivan and William F. Kerivan.

Jim was predeceased by his parents; his brother William S. Kerivan and sister Sheila Kerivan Hamilton. He is survived by his beloved wife, Lucinda D. Kerivan; adult children, Deborah Kerivan, Paul R. Kerivan and wife Sandra, Daniel J. Kerivan, and Michael McConchie; grandchildren, Shayla, Morgan, and Jacquelyn Beatty; Meredith and Timothy Kerivan; and his brothers, Richard G. Kerivan and Michael J. Kerivan and wife Melissa; sister-in-law Dawn L. Kerivan; brother-in-law Bryan Hamilton, and multiple nieces and nephews.

Jim grew up in Wellesley, MA and graduated from Wellesley High School with the Class of 1966. He continued his education at Northeastern University in Boston and earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (Magna Cum Laude). He took pride in his fraternal membership in Tau Beta Pi (the Phi Beta Kappa of the technical schools). He was a Registered Professional Engineer in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine.

In the early 1980s, MacNevin & Kerivan Engineering, Inc. of Wellesley, MA, was founded. Their firm offered civil engineering consulting services to a variety of clients, most importantly Boston Edison’s Engineering Division.

By the mid-1980s, Earl MacNevin retired, and Jim decided to close the firm, move to New Hampshire, and build a house on his family’s farm in Strafford, NH. By the late 1980’s, Jim was Senior Project Engineer for Kimball Chase Co., Inc. in Portsmouth, NH. In 1992 he was elected Vice President of their Construction Services Division.

In April of 1995 Jim established Altus Engineering, Inc. in the basement of his home and not long after partnered with two more Civil Engineers and opened an office in downtown Portsmouth. He attributes the success of Altus to the education and experience of all their employees—it was rare to find a situation they hadn’t seen before.

Jim had also served on the Town of Strafford Planning Board and was a member of the Strafford Library Association and Bow Lake Community Club.

His eventual retirement from Altus Engineering allowed him to pursue his ultimate goal as a full-time farmer on the family farm and spend as much time as possible with his family.

Burial will be private at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Jim’s name to the following:

Cornerstone VNA

178 Farmington Road

Rochester, NH 03867

Turning Point USA

4940 East Beverly Road 

Phoenix, Arizona 85044