James Inman Decker

Decker, James Inman EAST GREENBUSH James Inman Decker, 77, beloved husband of Carol Van Wely Decker, died suddenly April 27, 2010. Born in Atlanta, Ga., Mr. Decker was the son of the late General George H. Decker and Helen Inman Decker. Being an Army brat, James attended primary schools in N.C. and S.C. as well as Hawaii. He attended the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy and graduated from Russell Sage College. Mr. Decker was an employee of the General Electric Company in Schenectady and Pittsfield, Mass. for 33 years, managing its naval ordnance department in Mass. for many years. He was an avid sailor, hunter and fisherman, enjoyed gardening and could often be seen working on his home. He was a huge NY Giants fan and a New York Yankees enthusiast, traveling to the city many times a year with his wife and friends to watch the games. James and his bride loved Tanglewood, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center and Glimmerglass during the summer months and spent many happy years traveling through Europe, the Caribbean, Alaska, Hawaii, Calif. and the Carolinas, during the winter. James was a member of the Adirondack Nature Conservancy and Ducks Unlimited. Many people remember James for his work with the East Greenbush Central School District, specifically on the budget review and advisory committee. What James enjoyed most was spending time with his family, especially his three grandchildren whom he loved to take sailing on Lake Champlain. "Family Beats All," he used to say. James is survived by his wife Carol of 54 years; his son, Kevin Decker (Jean) of Kinderhook, his daughter, Kristin E. Shaw of Schodack; and his three grandchildren, Adam James Decker, 23, of Denver, Colo., Robert James Shaw, 19 and Kara Kimberly Shaw, 16, both of Schodack. He was predeceased by his daughter, Kimberly Jaye Decker and his sister, Jane Decker Francisco. He is also survived by his nephew, James Francisco (Mary) of Ala.; brother-in-law, the Reverend Richard F. Van Wely (Judith) of Stratford, Conn., and their three daughters and one son. A celebration of James' life will be held Saturday, May 1 at 1 p.m. at St. Peter's Episcopal Church on State Street in Albany, the same church in which Carol and Jim wed in 1956. Contributions may be made to American Heart Assoc., 440 New Karner Rd., Albany, NY 12205 or Adirondack Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, P.O. Box 65, Keene Valley, NY 12945 or East Greenbush Education Foundation, 29 Englewood Ave., East Greenbush, NY 12061, attn: Michele Bowman.