James W. FLORENCE

FLORENCE, James W.

James W. Florence, formerly of Manchester, passed away on Sat June 22 in Naples, FL. Jim was born March 31, 1941 in Hartford, CT. He was the son of the late Ernest A. Florence and Elizabeth Christopoulos Florence. He was predeceased by his sister Joan Florence Badorek of Klamath Falls Oregon. He is survived by his beloved wife Janice Florence (Smith) of Naples Florida, his brother Ken Florence of Stafford Springs, CT, his son Jim Florence, his wife Karen and daughter Alexandra of Bolton and his daughter Marcie Florence of Willington, and her children, Nick, Marina and Julia. Jim was a truck driver for Adley Express and Yellow freight in the 60's. Driving was in Jim's blood; his Dad, Uncle and brother were also drivers. He truly loved being on the road and traveling the country. In 1970 Jim received his real Estate License and worked as agent for Barrows and Wallace Real Estate in Manchester, CT. He went on to become an Insurance Agent and worked for John Hancock Insurance, Banker's Life and Casualty and Harvin Insurance until he eventually opened his own agency, United Insurance, in East Hartford, CT. Jim was best known for his larger than life personality. He was an animated spectator on the sidelines when his son played high school and college basketball. His enthusiasm got him kicked out of more than one game over the years. He was a member at Manchester Country Club and loved nothing more than being on the links. In 1994 Jim moved to Florida where he indulged his passions for golf, fishing off the Naples Pier, going to Ft. Meyers beach with his wife and their dog and telling everyone the weather forecast. Jim's family would like to extend their thanks to the staff at Imperial Health Care Center in Naples Florida for their care and compassion over the years. Following a stroke in 2005, Jim ruled the hallways of Imperial Health Care where he was affectionately known as "The Mayor".
A celebration of Jim's life will be held at Garfield's Funeral Care in Naples, FL on Sunday, July 21, 2013.