James J. Kindler

James J. Kindler, age 80 of Wayne, died on Tuesday, April 11, 2023. He’s been a resident of Wayne since 1974.

Jim had most recently been a realtor with Nico Realty in Wayne before retiring, and he was previously an RV rental agent with Cruise America in Lodi, NJ, as well as a truck mechanic and truck rental manager with Turnpike Ford in Secaucus.

Jim grew up in Jersey City, NJ and graduated from Snyder High School with the class of 1961. Shortly thereafter, he joined the Army National Guard and proudly served for more than six years before being honorably discharged in 1970. Jim remained proudly patriotic throughout his lifetime and was always supportive of his fellow veterans.

Jim enjoyed arts & crafts and had created many shadow boxes using memorabilia from their numerous vacations to memorialize their trips, and they’re displayed throughout their home. He also loved canoeing and had actually traversed all of Lake George in his canoe! He also enjoyed deer hunting and target shooting at Cherry Ridge range in Highland Lakes, NJ. He was also a very proud member of the NRA. He especially loved cruising on his 1977 Yamaha motorcycle, which he kept in pristine condition.

In January of 1969, Jim met Sharon Wiles on a blind date. They hit it off immediately and a storybook romance ensued, including a legendary weekend that summer to the Woodstock music festival. Jim proposed to Sharon on Christmas day of that same year, and they were married on August 30, 1970. After a memorable honeymoon to Bermuda they settled in Little Falls before moving to Wayne in 1975. They enjoyed raising their two boys together, vacationing many summers at Lake George, and they traveled extensively to such places as Alaska, St. Maarten, and Aruba. Sharon describes their fifty-three years together as “magical,” and she’s grateful to have been married to such a very special man. She will miss him dearly.

Jim is survived by his loving wife, Sharon, their two sons: Paul and his wife Christina, and Jonathan and his wife Filiz, four grandchildren: Brandon, Aidan, Devin, and Jasmine, and one brother; Charles. Jim was predeceased by two brothers: Raymond and Joseph.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Jim’s memory would be greatly appreciated to the Cherry Ridge Range, care of; Association-NJ Rifle & Pistol Clubs, 100 Range Rd., Highland Lakes, NJ, www.anjrpc.org, or to the National Rifle Association, www.nra.org