Obituary of James F. Cole

James F. Cole, 68, passed peacefully on Sunday, January 12th, 2020 with his family by his side.

Mr. Jim was born on May 10, 1951 in New Roads, Louisiana to the late James and Jeane L. (Regina) Cole. He received the nickname ‘Mr. Jim’ from the nuns in the New Roads hospital as he was the first male born in quite some time and the only male to ever go into a nun’s room. He spent most his childhood growing up in the Bronx.  In 1960, he moved to San Leandro, California where he attended public school. He was given piano lessons from the Dominican nuns in California, however he was asked to discontinue the lessons because he was beginning to play music that was not acceptable to the convent. After attending San Leandro High School for one year, he returned to New York in 1967. In June 1969, he graduated high school at DeWitt Clinton. In January 1974, he graduated college with a Bachelor of Arts at St. John’s University. He was in a band that played in small venues in the tri-state area.  After college, he worked for years at the Corner Bistro in the Village, which is where he met his future wife. Later, he was a foreign car auto mechanic at Import Repair of Westchester. They eventually settled in ‘Peekskill’, NY (the unnamed section of Cortlandt later known as Cortlandt Manor).  There Mr. Jim became Mr. Fix it, Mr. Coach, and someone people could count on.

Jimmy loved his family, his friends, and most of his neighbors. He was known by many as a very kind and thoughtful man who would go out of his way to help anyone. Jim loved cars, especially foreign cars. He always had a talent for mechanical things and spent much of his time fixing things.   He also created whimsical art from nature’s bounty.  He loved music and played multiple instruments including the piano and guitar. Jim was a lover of trees and spent much of his time gardening. Some of his favorite trees were all beeches, Japanese White and lacebark pines, metasequoia, firs and many others, especially those with exfoliating bark such as paperbark maple. His property has many of his favorite trees that he spent years compiling. Jim was great golfer and he loved to play. Jim enjoyed volunteering and coaching baseball for his two boys. He was an active member of the Cortlandt Little League for many years and even acting as field director. Friends will remember those years for how great the field looked. Some of Jim’s pleasures were Coca Cola, which he was weaned on as a baby, Schweppes ginger ale, Dunkin Donuts coffee, Crème Brule, and Werther’s Caramels. As was dancing when the NCIS theme song was on.

Jim is survived by his beloved wife Kathleen, their two sons David and Ian, his sister Kathy, and his buddy, Buddy.

He is predeceased by his mother, Jeane L. Cole, father James J. Cole, mother in law Rosa Conlon, and father in law, Thomas Conlon.

Visitation will be held at Joseph F. Nardone Funeral Home, 414 Washington Street, Peekskill, NY 10566 on Friday, January 17, 2020 from 3:00pm to 7:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family feels that Jim would like a tree planted in his memory or a donation to a charity that means something to you or one you think would mean something to him in his honor.