James F. Nealon

Nealon, James F.

James Francis Nealon of Monroe, CT, died peacefully on September 29, 2013, after a struggle with complications from pneumonia. He was 86 years old. He leaves behind his devoted children and grandchildren: daughter Sheila Glyn Nealon and partner Karen May of Suffern, NY; son David John Nealon and wife Tamara of Suffield, CT; grandchildren Shepard Ramsay, Grace Ramsay, and Victoria Nealon, as well as nieces, nephews, and cousins.

He is predeceased by his cherished wife Tonia, and his loving brothers Donald and Jack.

Jim was born May 20, 1927, in Peckville, PA, the second of three sons born to John and Lena Ganzemuller Nealon. As a teenager, Jim was a volunteer firefighter and a junior pilot. He cut short his high school years to enlist in the US Army during WWII. A member of the 769th Army Air Forces Base Unit, he was part of the occupying force of Japan after Hiroshima.

Coming home to the States, Jim quickly earned his GED and went to college under the GI Bill. He met the love of his life, Tonia H. Boglioli, in 1953, and they were married in 1954. The young couple moved to Fairfield, CT, where they raised their family. Jim began his career in business, but soon found that he had a calling to help people. He became a social worker, working in family court, and eventually, in the early 1970s, establishing a private family counseling practice. He had a particular talent for hypnotherapy, which he trained in extensively and used effectively in his work.

Though Jim was plagued by health problems for much of his adult life, he persevered, often against long odds. What sustained him was his love of family and his deep faith. He studied scripture seriously and passionately, and loved teaching about God's word. He was looked to by family, friends, and fellow members of his church as a spiritual pillar. A thinker who often questioned authority, a compassionate man who always offered to help others, a lover of the truth, Jim will be sorely missed.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, October 13, at 2:00 p.m. at the Beacon Hill Free Evangelical Free Church, 371 Old Zoar Road, Monroe, CT.