Jim Peck

Jim Peck is a professional genealogist and historian from Alpine, California. He has been working for clients and family members in this role since 2008 when he retired from a 35-year career in banking. Starting as a cost analyst, he had worked his way up through progressive promotions to become the Chief Financial Officer for the venture capital arm of Bank of America. 

He is a graduate of Tufts University where he received a BA in Mathematics and Economics, cum laude. He went on to get an MBA from Boston College majoring in Finance. He also received a CFP from Boston University. 

Jim moved to California in 2021 to be near his two sons and one granddaughter after living in New Hampshire for 38 years. He lives in Alpine, in the  suburbs of San Diego, with his wife of 52 years, Audrey, and their two dogs. 

While in Plaistow, New Hampshire, Jim served his community in many capacities, including the Budget Committee, Town Auditor, and  Chairman of both the Library Trustees and the Planning Board. He has been Plaistow Town Historian since 2008 and continues as such today.

In Alpine, he serves as his neighborhood’s representative on the local fire safety board and volunteers at a local animal sanctuary called Lions, Tigers and Bears. 

From 1973 to 1993, Jim served in the US Army National Guard first as a tank commander, then the company commander and 26th Yankee Division pay officer of the 726th Finance Company in Somerville, Massachusetts from which he retired as a Captain. 

Jim is the family historian for both the Peck and Fife (his mother’s) sides of his family. In the former capacity, he traced the Peck line back to 1620 and has written an extensive Peck Family History covering 13 generations  

While researching the October 7, 1944 death of his Uncle Sgt. Morris Peck, a radioman/gunner on a B-24 bomber that attempted to land at the airfield on the island of Vis, he made contacts in Croatia and became very interested in visiting the island. 

On a visit to Vis in October 2023, along with his brother Jeff, he met with Niall Brannigan, Velimir Mratinic and Danijel Frka and started the effort to establish a Memorial Center on Vis. Today he serves on the Foundation for Vis Island Advisory Board as the Historian and is Treasurer of the Ohio Corporation Vis WWII Memorial Center.