James F. Fallon

James Francis Fallon passed into the arms of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Thursday, July 17, 2014. Waiting to greet him were his parents, Thomas A. Fallon who died in 1965 and Kathryn Fallon who died in 1934, all of his siblings; Richard, Dorothy, Kathleen, and Donny, and his lifelong best friend John Paterson, with whom he shared a friendship from 1934 until John’s death in 2012. Jim was born in Point Place, Toledo, Ohio on February 12, 1924. He graduated from Waite High School in 1942 and entered the US Navy. In World War II, he was stationed in the Sea of Japan, where he served as a quartermaster on several ships, including the USS Randolph. He survived the Kamikaze attack on the Randolph on March 11, 1945 because he walked across the deck to answer a phone call. The pilot came in on the spot where he had stood. 25 crewmen were killed in that attack. After the war, he met Betty V. Norts in 1946 and they were married on June 5, 1948. Together they had 3 children: Michael James (Rita) in 1951, Christine Marie (Doug Morningstar) in 1954, and Jennifer Kay (John DeLucia) in 1966. They have 4 grandchildren: Leslie (Kevin) Jessing, Lisa (Brian) Armstrong, and Gianni and Dominic DeLucia, step-grandchildren Lisa and Michelle, and 7 great grandchildren: Mason, Ethan, Ragan, Ian, Grace, Eli, and Olivia, all of whom survive him. He is also survived by dear friend Bill Sallee, who will always be one of the family. He sailed his first boat on Maumee Bay in 1934, and began a lifelong love of sailing. He and his future brother-in-law, Walt Swindeman sailed on Walt’s Lightning Class sailboat, The Yankee Doodle. They raced her competitively, winning the International Lightning Championship in September 1946, along with a slew of other races. Jim won Interlake sailing championships in 1958, 59, and 60 in his sailboat “Jubilee”, and dominated the local sports news winning regattas in those years. He was Commodore of the Associated Yacht Clubs in 1961 and Commodore of Jolly Roger Sailing Club in 1962. Professionally, Jim graduated from The University of Toledo with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1950 and was a registered Professional Engineer. He worked for Shaw-Kendall (1950 – 1959), Libby Owens Ford (1959 – 1966) and Owens Illinois (1966 until his retirement in 1985) where he held varying positions in construction management, including “Manager for Engineering and Construction, Resident Construction Manager” of the $100 million O-I World Headquarters building, known as Seagate. Jim was also Manager Facilities Engineering for all Toledo area properties, with responsibility for all renovations and new construction, OSHA and EPA compliance and risk management for all facilities for O-I in the continental US. He was instrumental in development and implementation of plant wide computerized preventative maintenance programs. He was a past president of ASHRAE (1969). After his retirement, Jim became the owner’s representative and construction manager on construction and renovation projects at The Toledo Zoo, including the African Savanna exhibit and the Panda exhibit. He also taught construction management classes at Bowling Green State University. With all that he accomplished professionally, Jim’s favorite accomplishment was his relationship with Jesus Christ, and his relationship with us; being Dad to us kids, and Poppy to the grandchildren. He was an example of faith, hard-work, ethics, and standing up for what you believe in. He embodied 2 Corinthians 5:17: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come!” Thank you Dad, and we love you and miss you. The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at Kingston Perrysburg Care Center for their exemplary love and care for Jim these past 2 years. A celebration of Jim’s life will be Tuesday, July 22, at 3 p.m. at Oak Bend Church, 11275 Eckel Junction Road, Perrysburg, Ohio with a reception following at the church. Donations in honor of Jim can be made to The Toledo Zoo or Hospice of Northwest Ohio. Coyle Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. Please view Jim’s tribute video and share a memory at coylefuneralhome.com

Tributes

James F. Fallon

February 12, 1924 - July 17, 2014