Storke Funeral Home Obituaries

James P. “Jim” Duffy, Sr. (62) of Colonial Beach, VA passed away suddenly at home from natural causes on Monday, May 30, 2022. Jim was born May 21, 1960, in Brooklyn, NY. His parents Noreene L.  Duffy and James F. Duffy predecease him.

In addition to his wife, Sandy, who survives at home, Jim is survived by his sons James Duffy, Jr. of Fredericksburg, VA and Mike Duffy (wife Kaitlin) and grandson Colin Duffy of Clifton Park, NY. Jim is also survived by his sister Trish Weber (husband Vic). Additionally survived by his sister-in-law Cheryl (husband Ed), sister-in-law Bobbi (partner Robbie), brother-in-law Rob (wife Patti), nieces Danielle and Elizabeth, nephews Mark, Daniel, David and Kevin, as well as great-nieces and great-nephews.

Jim moved with his parents at a young age to Poughkeepsie, NY from Staten Island, NY. He would go on to be a graduate of Arlington High School’s class of 1978. Following in his father’s footsteps Jim was offered a job at IBM. A job he felt was like hitting the lottery. During his time with the company, he made many friends and worked in various roles and experienced a lifetime of ups and downs all in the effort to provide for his family. After he and the IBM plant he worked at in Fishkill, NY was acquired by Global Foundries in 2015 his passion and drive to provide for his family never wavered. He would continue to work hard rising to every challenge his job or life threw at him. He braved countless waves of layoffs at both IBM and GlobalFoundries, faced quadruple bypass surgery when he was only 45 years old and, most recently, the need for a pacemaker. He never let any of that deter him and with each obstacle he came out of them with more will, drive and determination than ever to provide for his family and enjoy life. By June 2021 he finally decided to relax and retire after devoting over 40 years between the two companies.

It would also be in Poughkeepsie that he would meet his lifelong best friend, soul mate and wife, Sandy. Jim and Sandy accomplished much in their time together. Married in 1983, at Holy Trinity Church in Poughkeepsie, NY. Jim and Sandy welcomed their son James, Jr. in 1985 while living in Pleasant Valley, NY. After moving a few years later to a townhome Hyde Park, in 1991 they welcomed their second son Mike. In 1997, with their still young family, they would purchase a foreclosure and move back to Pleasant Valley, NY as they planned to settle down for the long term. Jim was a talented craftsman. He painstakingly renovated and maintained the home with his own two hands. It was a labor of great hardship but also great love to provide a place for his family to call home for the better part of two decades while proudly watching his two sons grow up and go on to start lives of their own. With the kids “out of the nest”, Jim and Sandy finally and proudly took an opportunity to build a brand-new home in Colonial Beach, VA in 2020, which they planned to use to enjoy the fruits of their labor together.

Jim was an avid sports fan and it was a passion he shared with many friends and family. He coached his oldest son James, Jr. first in Hyde Park League Baseball and again later in grades 7 and 8 Basketball. He mixed fandom with entrepreneurship and made numerous friends while selling sports cards and memorabilia at what he called “card shows” held at various flea markets and malls. He enjoyed watching and attending New Jersey Devils and Albany River Rats hockey games and training camps with his sons. He was childhood fan of the New York Yankees and recently grew to root for the Washington Nationals. Jim was also a long-suffering fan of the New York Jets but also enjoyed the New York Giants thanks to his late father-in-law.

Jim never had a shortage of lively stories to tell at the holiday dinner table, family gatherings, or really anytime anyone was around to listen. He also had many hobbies and passions which he would always share with his kids. He enjoyed movies like Goodfellas and the Godfather. He enjoyed watching TV shows new and old. He loved listening to music and was always humming to, and sometimes horribly attempting to sing along to, a song in his headphones or explaining in vain to his children the history of Pink Floyd or quizzing them on the artist to his favorite songs when they came on the radio. He loved collecting sports memorabilia, Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars, building and racing RC cars, and restoring and maintaining a collection of model trains that would make his father proud. He, and his own father, seeded and fostered an interest in model railroading in his youngest son Mike and he will be fondly remembered for that as he began to further light that flame in his grandson, Colin, to love and enjoy as well. In his oldest son James, Jr. he instilled that love of custom RC cars which has since flourished into a love for all things tech and tinkering from RC cars to drones to 3D printing. Even some of his household handyman skills may have rubbed off a bit on them both. He would have said that his kids were his greatest accomplishments!

Life was not without its challenges. Jim braved quadruple bypass surgery when he was only 45 years old and most recently underwent a pacemaker implant. As with any adversity he encountered, he came through with more will and determination than ever. Jim spent the last year of his life in his new home in Virginia enjoying a new adventure every day. Whether it was bike riding, fishing, sitting on the beach or in the garage making new friends, fiddling with his trains or still running his numerous RC cars, Jim fully embraced his retirement. He truly loved where he found his new home in the Ebb Tide Beach Community in the town of Colonial Beach, Virginia. He was taken from us too soon and he will be missed beyond measure. He was a loving husband, an amazing father and a great friend to many. “He was a good Joe”.