James Hurysz was born in New York shortly after the end of World War 2. His parents were also held in New York, and all attended private schools in Western and Central New York. Jim served on active duty for two years with the United States Army, where he attained the rank of Sergeant. Several major manufacturing corporations employed him before working for the U.S. Department of Commerce for several years providing Quality Assurance services related to data collection. With the decline of manufacturing in the Northeast, Jim relocated to Northern Virginia and lived in Arlington County for many years.