James Tuit

James “Scruffty” “Big Jim” “Jim” Tuit, Sr., age 82 passed away peacefully Tuesday morning, December 5, 2023.

He was born in Paterson and raised in Prospect Park.  Jim attended Passaic County Technical High School with the Class of 1959. He loved to go to Hinchcliffe Stadium in Paterson, which was very close to his home in Prospect Park and watch the car races.  When he got in trouble at home, like the time when he forgot to take out the garbage, his mom made him sit in the backyard and listen to the races which was torturous to him. 

Those early days of attending Hinchliffe Stadium would be the catalyst for Jim to get behind the wheel of a race car in the early 1970’s Jim would fabricate, weld, set-up, and drive stock cars.  Through the years he was a regular at the Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown, NY where he drove the 673 owned by John Baum, 342 owned by John “JC” Cunningham and the 318 that he co-owned with his son-in-law Bobby Pass (and that’s just to name a few) One of his fondest racing memories happened in the 80’s when his son Jimmy, Jr. finished 1st and he finished 2nd at the Orange County Fair Speedway. Jim loved and cherished the family time together, friends, and competition that racing brought to him. 

In his youth Jim painted houses for his grandfather’s company, and pumped gas at an Oakland gas station.

He spent most all of his working life in the local crushed stone, asphalt, and quarry industry. For many years he worked at Passaic Crushed Stone in Riverdale and retired in 2002 as a supervisor.

In 2002 when Jim retired, he and Judy moved to North Wilkesboro, North Carolina also known as NASCAR Country. One of their favorite things to do was attend multiple NASCAR races with their friends from Martinsville, Richmond, and Darlington just to name a few.  They spent a decade together enjoying life until Judy suddenly passed away. Encouraged by his children, he moved back to NJ so he would be around family. 

Jim was a remarkable individual whose life was defined by his genuine love of racing and connecting with people. Known for his affable nature, he possessed an innate ability to strike up conversations with anyone he encountered. Jim's warmth and approachability made him a cherished figure in the racing community where he fostered deep and meaningful relationships. He was a fierce competitor on the track, and once he hung up racing gloves he became a staple in the pits and a popular guy in the grandstands. Every year Jim would head up to Orange County Fair Speedway for the annual Nostalgia Night signing autographs, meeting new fans of racing and reminiscing about the good ole days with his fellow racers young and old. 

A dedicated and industrious worker throughout his life, Jim's work ethic was as impressive as his social skills. Whether he was engaged in his profession or lending a helping hand to friends and neighbors, Jim's commitment to hard work was unwavering. His enduring legacy is not just one of diligence and industriousness but also a testament to the profound impact one can have through kindness and authentic connections with others.

Jim was the beloved husband of the late Judy (nee Ricker) Tuit (d.2013); loving father of Kathy Pass and her husband Bob of Wayne, Ray Tuit and his wife Debbie of Oakland, and the late Jimmy Tuit, Jr. (d. 2017); he was a bonus Dad to Crystal Baum of Wayne; much loved companion to Dianne Caputo of Wayne; predeceased by his loving brother John Tuit, Jr., and his beloved cat Hoosier (d.2022).

In lieu of flowers donations in Jim’s memory to the Wayne Memorial First Aid Squad would be greatly appreciated.