Obituary of James R. Regan

COLTON—Calling hours for James R. Regan, 86, a resident of 303 Gulf Road, Colton, will be held on Tuesday, September 12, 2023 at the Buck Funeral Home in Colton from 4-7 p.m. Mr. Regan passed away on Tuesday evening, September 5, 2023 at his home with family at his side. James is survived by his wife of 37 years, Annemarie, Colton; his son, Sean and Liza Regan, Massena; his daughter, Erin and Fred Toomey, Colton and Ellenville, NY; his beloved five grandchildren, Kendrick, Ian, Brendan, Cooper and Emmary; two step-children, Patty and Kenneth Wells, Massena and Douglas and Robyn McNamara, Raleigh, NC; six step-grandchildren, Sharra, Jessica, Mark, Matthew, Britney and Megan and his two sisters, Patricia Barbalich and Julie Regan, both of Colton. Jim was predeceased by his parents and older brother, John Harold Regan. Born in South Colton, NY on February 14, 1937 to the late John and Bessie Miles Regan, Jim was the third of four children. He enjoyed the benefits of country living, growing up on a farm, hunting, fishing, and tormenting his sisters. Throughout high school he was a natural athlete, playing every sport Colton had to offer, basketball, baseball, and track. He graduated from Colton-Pierrepont Central School in 1955 before enlisting in the U.S. Navy. On November 27, 1958, he married Colleen Leary. Upon his honorable discharge from the Navy, he began his higher education. Jim graduated from Russell Sage College in Troy, NY with a Bachelor's Degree then took his first teaching job in the Troy City School District. Summers were spent enjoying many trips around the country, camping coast to coast with his sisters and friends and at the family camp on Higley. A few years later after starting a family he permanently returned to his hometown of Colton, taking a job teaching at Colton-Pierrepont where he taught 5th and 6th grades for over 20 years. Over the years, Jim kept the score for countless basketball and some soccer games. After his first marriage ended in divorce, Jim married Annemarie McNamara on April 3, 1986. He retired from teaching in 1995, after the birth of his first grandchild, but discovered he wanted to do something else. For several years, he was a volunteer driver for St. Lawrence County Office of the Aging, and the Department of Social Services. He loved meeting people, talking to people, and helping people. Throughout his life Jim built and remodeled several houses. He had a creative streak with design and made many beautiful things out of wood. He enjoyed spending time in nature and saw beauty in everything from acorns to eagles. He loved traveling, going for rides in the country, and spending time with his family and friends. Jim was never happier than when he was surrounded by his grandchildren. Memorial donations in Jim's memory can be made to Hospice and Palliative Care of the St. Lawrence Valley and memories and condolences may be shared online at www.buckfuneralhome.com. The Buck Funeral Home in Colton is serving the family of James R. Regan.