Donald Pera James

DONALD PERA JAMES, 85, OF WESTBOROUGH, FORMERLY A 45 YEAR RESIDENT OF FRAMINGHAM , DIED PEACEFULLY AT HOME ON MONDAY, AUGUST  21, 2017, IN THE CARE OF HIS  FAMILY WHO LOVED HIM GREATLY, HOSPICE AND A GROUP OF DEDICATED CNA'S.

HE LEAVES BEHIND HIS WIFE OF 56 YEARS,  ANITA (HARTON), HIS DAUGHTER,  LISA JENZEH OF WAYLAND AND SON, BRYAN AND HIS WIFE ROSE OF FRAMINGHAM AND FOUR GRANDCHILDREN, LILY AND JACOB JENZEH AND ANTHONY AND NATHAN JAMES OF WHOM HE WAS VERY PROUD.

MR. JAMES WAS BORN IN PHILADELPHIA, PA, THE SON OF THE LATE SAMUEL JACOBS AND LUCY PERA JACOBS.   HE IS PREDECEASED BY HIS SISTER MARIE CANNON OF INDIANA AND HIS BROTHER, DR. SAMUEL JACOBS, JR. OF GREENWICH, CT.  HE WAS EDUCATED IN THE YONKERS, NY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

HE ATTENDED CORNELL UNIVERSITY, GRADUATING IN 1954 WITH A DEGREE IN INDUSTRIAL AND LABOR RELATIONS.  WHILE THERE MR. JAMES EXCELLED IN ATHLETICS AND WAS INDUCTED INTO CORNELL'S HALL OF FAME FOR HIS EXCELLENCE IN BASEBALL AS AN INFIELDER AND HITTER.  RECIPIENT OF THE DR. ALBERT SHARPE AWARD AS THE TEAMS'S MVP IN BOTH 1953 AND 1954.  A TWO-YEAR LETTER MAN IN BASKETALL, HE WAS THE CORNELL SUN ATHLETE WHO MOST EXEMPLAPHIED THE BEST OF CORNELL ATHLETIC TRADITIONS FOR FOUR YEARS. 

AS A FIRST LIEUTENENT IN THE ARMY ARTILLERY 5TH DIVISION SERVING IN GERMANY, HE WAS APPOINTED THE FLAK BASEBALL COACH FOR THE 1956 SEASON.

HE WORKED FOR FOSTER WHEELER AND POTTER INSTRUMENT IN NEW YORK BEFORE SETTLING INTO A LONG CAREER WITH THE RAYTHEON COMPANY, WORKING IN WAYLAND, BURLINGTON AND LEXINGTON IN VARIOUS HUMAN RESOURCE CAPACITIES.  HE WAS A LONG TIME MEMBER OF THE RAYTHEON GOLF LEAGUE.  HE WAS A MEMBER OF CRANBERRY VALLEY GOLF COURSE IN HARWICH MA WHERE HE HAD A SUMMER HOME FOR 28 YEARS.

ST. ANDREW'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN FRAMINGHAM WAS HIS SPIRITUAL HOME FOR MANY YEARS, SERVING ON THE STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE, THE VESTRY AND WORKING WITH TEENS PREPARING FOR COMFIRMATION.  IN 2011 HE BECAME A MEMBER OF ST. STEPHENS WESTBOROUGH WHERE HE CONTINUED HIS SPIRITUAL JOURNEY. 

HIS FUNERAL SERVICE WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, AT 10:00 A.M. IN ST. STEPHEN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 3 JOHN ST., WESTBOROUGH. BURIAL WILL BE PRIVATE

CALLING HOURS AT THE DAVID A. PICKERING WESTBOROUGH FUNERAL HOME, 62 WEST MAIN ST., WESTBOROUGH, ARE FRIDAY, AUGUST 25 FROM 4-7 P.M.

EXPRESSIONS OF SYMPATHY MAY BE MADE TO EITHER CHURCH OR THE AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION, 1200 HOSFORD ST., SUITE 101, HUDSON, WI  54016-9316.

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