[ad_1]
James Bernard Gilligan, Jr., of Shark River Hills, passed peacefully in the wee hours of May 6, 2023.
A lifelong resident of New Jersey and a devout Catholic, who attended Mass weekly, even watching Mass online during the pandemic, James was born in Newark and grew up in Avon-by-the-Sea. He attended St. Rose Grammar School and graduated from St. Rose High School in Belmar. He maintained lifelong friendships with many of his former classmates. He was a parishioner of St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Linden, where he married and raised his family, until moving to Shark River Hills and joining St. Elizabeth Parish in Avon. While living in Linden he taught CCD to high school students, served on the Parish Council, was President of the Linden Kiwanis Club and President of the Linden Debutante Foundation. He found great joy in expressing his faith through song and enjoyed the friendship and camaraderie of many individuals in both the religious and professional community.
When he was a young man, James worked as a busboy at The Avon Inn and he even did a stint as a barker on the boardwalk in Asbury Park. He studied accounting at St. Peter’s College in Jersey City while living with his cousins and working a full-time job. He worked at Western Electric for several years, traveling by train daily with his father.
While supporting a family, and still working full time, James attended Pratt Institute and Newark College of Engineering, now NJIT, at night. Upon completion of his courses, he passed his boards to become a professional Architect. Licensed in several states, he was a Principal partner in his own company, Gilligan & Bubnowski, Architects; first in Linden then in Eatontown. He worked full time until Covid and was still actively involved in the business. He served on the Zoning Board for Neptune Township until his passing.
James was a loving and devoted husband to his bride, Catherine (née Lehr) whom he met horseback riding while attending a CYO retreat at Roundup Ranch in upstate New York in 1955. They were married at St. Elizabeth in Linden and celebrated 65 years of marriage on May 3.
James embraced a full and joyful life, often sharing stories of his youthful adventures. He enjoyed freshwater fishing in Hackettstown and loved both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. He was a member of The Sea Girt Lighthouse Citizens Committee. He was an avid Giants fan and a true Patron of the Arts. He and Catherine have been Carnegie Hall Season ticket holders for over 45 years and they did not miss a single Spring performance at Union Catholic High School in Scotch Plains for over 40 years. A talented draftsman and artist he was never without a black felt tip pen, and often sketched detailed images on whatever paper he had at hand.
James is the firstborn son of James B Gilligan Sr. and Marjorie Gilligan, of Spring Lake, both of whom have passed on. He is survived by his dearest wife and 3 children: Catherine Marie (and John) Langan of Carlsbad, California, James B. III (and Paula, née Valian) of Spring Lake Heights, and Christopher (and Melissa, née Hill) of New York City; seven grandchildren: John Conor Langan (and Ashley, née Causgrove), Catherine Genevieve Langan, James B. Gilligan IV (and Catherine, née Guarino), Jacqueline Rose Gilligan, Katherine Arline Gilligan, Wolff Jackson Hill Gilligan, and Sparrow Eloise Hill Gilligan and his most recent delight: two great-grandchildren, Conor William Langan and Molly Veronica Langan.
James is also survived by his brothers, Charles Gilligan and wife Pamela, Joseph Gilligan and wife Sharon, Edson William Gilligan and wife Deborah, and his sister Marjorie Murphy and husband Dennis Murphy. His sisters Anne Ball and Gloria and brother-in-law Alphonse ‘Pep’ Baselici predeceased him.
Along with his immediate family, James was blessed with several nieces, nephews, cousins, and many dear friends and colleagues; all of whom will remember him as a kind and generous soul who was quick with a joke and a smile.
God Bless you, Jimmy. We miss you.
Viewing will be held on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 from 4-7 p.m. at O’Brien Funeral Home, 2028 Hwy 35, Wall. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Wednesday, May 10th at 11:00 a.m. at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church, 424 Lincoln Ave, Avon-By-The-Sea, NJ 07717, followed by the interment at St. Anne’s Cemetery, Wall. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. To send condolences to the family please visit http://www.obrienfuneralhome.com.
[ad_2]
Source_link
