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Services
Friends may visit at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Saturday, March 19, 2016 from 8:30 to 10:00 AM.
Funeral Services will follow at 10:00 AM from the funeral home, then to Immaculate Heart of Mary R.C. Church, 580 Ratzer Road, Wayne, where at 10:30AM a Funeral Mass will be offered.
James A. DePoe, age 71, of Wayne, passed peacefully with loving family by his side on Thursday, March 10, 2016.
Born and raised in Newark, Jim enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1961 at the still wet behind the ears age of seventeen. He bravely and proudly served on the USS Chowanoc (ATF100) with tours of duty in the Philippines and Japan. In 1965 he returned to civilian life living in Parsippany and Union.
After his return home Jim served various jobs including as a taxi drive before finding his calling in the U.S. Postal Service. He started as a clerk in the Livingston office and stayed at that location for sixteen years, working his way up to Carrier Supervisor before being transferred to the Hopatcong, Mount Freedom and Chester offices. He ultimately became the Postmaster at the Ironia office until retiring in 2006 after a forty-two-year career. Jim was a dedicated, hard-worker. He typically worked eleven to twelve hours a day starting at 5:00 AM. One of his regular customers knew how hard Jim worked and one day surprised him with a recliner chair for his office so that he could take naps during his lunch-hour. He earned a wonderful reputation for being kind and good and fair with his coworkers and customers with whom he had a great rapport. Even after retiring he’d often stop by to offer any help he could to the guys that maintained and fixed the postal trucks.
In 1991, while at a dance, Jim met a vivacious and fun-loving lady named Marilyn Gossinger. A postal carrier herself, Marilyn was dating another postal worker at the time named Guy. Undeterred, Jimmy asked Guy if he could dance with Marilyn. Guy’s reply was “only if you dance fast with her.” So Jimmy and Marilyn danced fast and Marilyn fell fast for Jimmy’s blue eyes, humble and shy demeanor, and friendly sense of humor. That night was the beginning of a wonderful companionship of twenty-five years. Their relationship worked well because they respected and stayed true to each other through the good times when they were both blessed with health and the tough times when they supported each other through illness.
As a young man Jim was always at his sons’ baseball games, cheering them on. He also liked to relax at the Livingston Elks Club playing cards and pool and volunteering his time cooking corned beef and cabbage for the annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration and burgers for the summer picnic.
Marilyn’s family became Jimmy’s and together they enjoyed some great vacations in Wildwood, up north at Lake George, NY, down south to Disney World and way down south when they took a cruise out of Miami to Cancun. Jimmy loved sitting by the inlet in Point Pleasant with his cup of 7-11 coffee in his hand. He could sit there for hours, just watching the seagulls and fishing boats come and go while soaking in the sun and the surf.
Jimmy and Marilyn also liked to test their luck at the casinos. Over time they pretty-much hit every new casino from Atlantic City to Mount Airy Lodge, Foxwoods Resorts, Monticello, and Las Vegas. They loved the casinos but when they couldn’t get away, they equally enjoyed a simple tradition of taking a weekday 2:00 PM run to the Dunkin Donuts in Wayne near Packanack Lake. After grabbing a cup of coffee to go, Jimmy and Marilyn would go next door to the Minny Mart, purchase some scratch-off lottery tickets, then go sit in the car, sip coffee and scratch tickets to see if they were winners.
He loved manicuring his lawn and tending to his flowers. Like Bill Murray playing the role of Karl Spackler in that famous 1980 movie Caddy Shack, for four straight years he engaged in battle with a gopher that lived under his shed. Jimmy finally prevailed when the gopher went out one day to the next-door neighbor and Jimmy quickly put a rock in the way so the gopher couldn’t get back under his shed.
Jimmy enjoyed the simple pleasures of life. A good night out was enjoying a Victoria Steak from Outback Steak House in Butler, washed down with a cold refreshing Heineken beer. A big sports fan, he especially enjoyed cheering for the New York Yankees and New York Giants, but he also loved watching golf and tennis matches and action thrillers like James Bond or war movies. He watched so much television that his family nicknamed him “Mr. Clicker.” Jim also enjoyed helping others, including Marilyn’s Aunt Jennie. He’d take her to her doctor and hair style appointments as well as her errands at CVS and Stop&Shop. Jennie always expressed her appreciation by making Jimmy delicious Pierogis.
His loved ones will miss Jimmy’s companionship and quiet, humble-minded, simple approach to life that helped them all to feel so loved. In the midst of their grief, they find solace in knowing that Jimmy is at peace and pain free.
James is survived by his two sons: Marc DePoe of West New York, NJ, and Daniel DePoe of Toms River; two grandchildren: Maya and Ryan; his brother Leonard and wife Jean DePoe of Verona; his nephews and nieces; his beloved companion Marilyn Gossinger of Wayne: Marilyn’s daughter and son: Melissa and husband Joe Purdie of Vernon and Mykell and wife Christine Gossinger of Bloomfield; and Marilyn’s grandchildren: Michael and Joey Gubich, Jarrett Purdie, and Jaxon Gossinger. James was predeceased by his parents George & Frances DePoe and his brother George.
Those planning an expression of sympathy in James’ memory, are asked to consider Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, PO Box 5028, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5028 (mskcc.org)
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Friends may visit at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Saturday, March 19, 2016 from 8:30 to 10:00 AM.
Funeral Services will follow at 10:00 AM from the funeral home, then to Immaculate Heart of Mary R.C. Church, 580 Ratzer Road, Wayne, where at 10:30AM a Funeral Mass will be offered.
Services
Friends may visit at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Saturday, March 19, 2016 from 8:30 to 10:00 AM.
Funeral Services will follow at 10:00 AM from the funeral home, then to Immaculate Heart of Mary R.C. Church, 580 Ratzer Road, Wayne, where at 10:30AM a Funeral Mass will be offered.
James A. DePoe, age 71, of Wayne, passed peacefully with loving family by his side on Thursday, March 10, 2016.
Born and raised in Newark, Jim enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1961 at the still wet behind the ears age of seventeen. He bravely and proudly served on the USS Chowanoc (ATF100) with tours of duty in the Philippines and Japan. In 1965 he returned to civilian life living in Parsippany and Union.
After his return home Jim served various jobs including as a taxi drive before finding his calling in the U.S. Postal Service. He started as a clerk in the Livingston office and stayed at that location for sixteen years, working his way up to Carrier Supervisor before being transferred to the Hopatcong, Mount Freedom and Chester offices. He ultimately became the Postmaster at the Ironia office until retiring in 2006 after a forty-two-year career. Jim was a dedicated, hard-worker. He typically worked eleven to twelve hours a day starting at 5:00 AM. One of his regular customers knew how hard Jim worked and one day surprised him with a recliner chair for his office so that he could take naps during his lunch-hour. He earned a wonderful reputation for being kind and good and fair with his coworkers and customers with whom he had a great rapport. Even after retiring he’d often stop by to offer any help he could to the guys that maintained and fixed the postal trucks.
In 1991, while at a dance, Jim met a vivacious and fun-loving lady named Marilyn Gossinger. A postal carrier herself, Marilyn was dating another postal worker at the time named Guy. Undeterred, Jimmy asked Guy if he could dance with Marilyn. Guy’s reply was “only if you dance fast with her.” So Jimmy and Marilyn danced fast and Marilyn fell fast for Jimmy’s blue eyes, humble and shy demeanor, and friendly sense of humor. That night was the beginning of a wonderful companionship of twenty-five years. Their relationship worked well because they respected and stayed true to each other through the good times when they were both blessed with health and the tough times when they supported each other through illness.
As a young man Jim was always at his sons’ baseball games, cheering them on. He also liked to relax at the Livingston Elks Club playing cards and pool and volunteering his time cooking corned beef and cabbage for the annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration and burgers for the summer picnic.
Marilyn’s family became Jimmy’s and together they enjoyed some great vacations in Wildwood, up north at Lake George, NY, down south to Disney World and way down south when they took a cruise out of Miami to Cancun. Jimmy loved sitting by the inlet in Point Pleasant with his cup of 7-11 coffee in his hand. He could sit there for hours, just watching the seagulls and fishing boats come and go while soaking in the sun and the surf.
Jimmy and Marilyn also liked to test their luck at the casinos. Over time they pretty-much hit every new casino from Atlantic City to Mount Airy Lodge, Foxwoods Resorts, Monticello, and Las Vegas. They loved the casinos but when they couldn’t get away, they equally enjoyed a simple tradition of taking a weekday 2:00 PM run to the Dunkin Donuts in Wayne near Packanack Lake. After grabbing a cup of coffee to go, Jimmy and Marilyn would go next door to the Minny Mart, purchase some scratch-off lottery tickets, then go sit in the car, sip coffee and scratch tickets to see if they were winners.
He loved manicuring his lawn and tending to his flowers. Like Bill Murray playing the role of Karl Spackler in that famous 1980 movie Caddy Shack, for four straight years he engaged in battle with a gopher that lived under his shed. Jimmy finally prevailed when the gopher went out one day to the next-door neighbor and Jimmy quickly put a rock in the way so the gopher couldn’t get back under his shed.
Jimmy enjoyed the simple pleasures of life. A good night out was enjoying a Victoria Steak from Outback Steak House in Butler, washed down with a cold refreshing Heineken beer. A big sports fan, he especially enjoyed cheering for the New York Yankees and New York Giants, but he also loved watching golf and tennis matches and action thrillers like James Bond or war movies. He watched so much television that his family nicknamed him “Mr. Clicker.” Jim also enjoyed helping others, including Marilyn’s Aunt Jennie. He’d take her to her doctor and hair style appointments as well as her errands at CVS and Stop&Shop. Jennie always expressed her appreciation by making Jimmy delicious Pierogis.
His loved ones will miss Jimmy’s companionship and quiet, humble-minded, simple approach to life that helped them all to feel so loved. In the midst of their grief, they find solace in knowing that Jimmy is at peace and pain free.
James is survived by his two sons: Marc DePoe of West New York, NJ, and Daniel DePoe of Toms River; two grandchildren: Maya and Ryan; his brother Leonard and wife Jean DePoe of Verona; his nephews and nieces; his beloved companion Marilyn Gossinger of Wayne: Marilyn’s daughter and son: Melissa and husband Joe Purdie of Vernon and Mykell and wife Christine Gossinger of Bloomfield; and Marilyn’s grandchildren: Michael and Joey Gubich, Jarrett Purdie, and Jaxon Gossinger. James was predeceased by his parents George & Frances DePoe and his brother George.
Those planning an expression of sympathy in James’ memory, are asked to consider Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, PO Box 5028, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5028 (mskcc.org)
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