James Edward Gabriel was born at home to Helen and William McCahill. Along with his six siblings, he grew up in Jersey City during the Great Depression. Obsessed with sports, Jim played sandlot ball and always remembered his many childhood friends. Jim attended Dickinson HS and St. Peter's Prep where he excelled in baseball and football. He loved jazz and Big Band music. Jim proudly served in the U.S. Marine Corps during WWII in the South Pacific. Wounded at Tinian, he was awarded the Purple Heart. For 93 years, “The Old Marine” remained a true patriot. “Semper Fi”.
Jim held various full time jobs. After working at Ballantine brewery in Newark, NJ--a job he described as “heaven on earth”-- he worked as a BCI clerk for the Hudson County Sheriff’s office during the day and at the US Postal Service Bulk Center in the evenings.
Jim is predeceased by the love of his life, Mickey. Married for 44 years, Jim and Mickey were active parishioners of St. Aloysius Church in Jersey City. “Jimmy Fan” is survived by his younger sister, Agnes Harris of Warren, NJ; three daughters and sons-in-law who loved him very much: Nora and Michael Monaghan of Little Silver, Katie and Jack Redmond of Howell and Sheila and Tom Jurek of Little Silver, and his six grandchildren: Madelyn, Jimmy and Patrick Monaghan, Luke and Daniel Jurek and Shane Redmond. Attending the sporting events of his nephews, nieces and grandchildren was what “kept him young”. Jim was a devoted brother, uncle, husband, father and grandparent. His spirit will live on whenever someone successfully executes “the hat trick” or sips a Black and Tan. PopPop passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on December 29, 2016.
Visitation will be on Monday, January 2nd from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at the Thompson Memorial Home, 310 Broad St, Red Bank. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, January 3rd at 10 a.m. at St. James RC Church, 94 Broad St, Red Bank. Interment will follow at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Middletown. In lieu of flowers, donations can be mailed to Jim’s favorite charity, Holiday Express, 968 Shrewsbury Ave., Tinton Falls, NJ 07724 http://holidayexpress.org/