Obituary of James P. Courtney

James Patrick Courtney of Dix Hills, NY passed away on November 2,  2023 at the age of 95. 

Jim is survived by his children Dermott, Clare, Susan (Chitranjan), and  Mary Castiglia (Anthony). He was the beloved grandfather of Alexander  and Kiran, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Jim is also survived  by his younger sister Theresa and younger brother William. He was  preceded in death by his wife Dorothy and sister Peggy. 

Jim was born in the Bronx and was the eldest son of Mary and PJ. He  graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School and Manhattan College. Early  memories from his childhood in the Bronx include taking the subway home  from the Bronx Zoo at age 5 after getting separated from an aunt, as well  as being sent off to St. Mary’s Park with a bag of sandwiches to supervise  his younger siblings. As a young man he worked as a page for the Sherry Netherland hotel where he was responsible for purchasing train tickets at  Grand Central Station and the old Pennsylvania Train Station for the hotel  guests. While in HS he enjoyed a stint operating the reindeer underneath  Santa’s sleigh in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. 

He was drafted into the US Marines just out of college in 1951, during the  Korean War, and spent his boot camp at Parris Island, SC. Luckily he was  never sent overseas but instead was sent to work in Quantico, VA, and  completed his service time there. Following his time in the Marines he  began his long and successful career in advertising. Jim met his beloved  Dorothy through his sister Peggy. Dot and Jim enjoyed fun times together  on Fire Island in summer and New England skiing in winter. Following  Dorothy’s passing after only seven years of marriage, Jim was left to raise  four young children. His incredible parents, siblings and in-laws supported  him in this effort. Summers on Fire Island watching his children grow up  were particularly happy times with family and friends. 

Jim loved to travel and enjoyed trips exploring Europe, Egypt, China, and  Russia. He also loved exploring the U.S., especially out West. He was a  voracious reader with a particular affinity for history and other non-fiction. In  later years he enjoyed reading the NYTimes big print edition and made  sure to cut out noteworthy articles to share with visitors. 

Following retirement, Jim lived in Nokomis, FL, enjoying the sun and palm  trees for 17 years before moving back to Long Island, NY, in 2019. Family meant everything to Jim and he looked forward to all the holiday  celebrations. Jim spent the last 4 years living in the Sunrise Senior Living  Community where he made new friends and joked with the wonderful staff  there. Everyone he met always told his family how funny, kind and caring  he was to them. That’s a life well-lived.