James H. Faller

1925 - 2018

PETERBOROUGH – After many years of quips that he was "failing fast," James H. Faller, 92, passed away peacefully on December 17, 2017, making that claim a reality. He'd spent his last decade happily at Rivermead, benefiting from the care of their accomplished and attentive staff and enjoying the social scene, library, meals, concerts, and excursions. Jim was a voracious reader of both fiction and non-fiction, and his interests encompassed astronomy, history, as well as a good mystery. At Rivermead, Jim met Irene Moore, formerly of Hancock, a true friend, constant dinner companion, and welcome addition to the joys, trials, and vagaries of late life; she predeceased him last March. Jim was well known for his wit and cheerful disposition and was a favorite of residents and many of the Assisted Living and Nursing staff. To the uninitiated, a first encounter with his humor could be confusing: one had to know to apply the law of opposites to much that he said.

Born July 11, 1925, in Buffalo, New York, to parents Marie (Stock) and Harry Faller, Jim spent his childhood with younger brother Eugene. Scant details of his early years known to his children (he always insisted to them that he didn't have a childhood!) include playing in the all school harmonica orchestra and having a year-round bicycle paper route. An adventurous spirit, after graduation from high school and with World War II raging, he enlisted in the Navy and became a Navy flier, eventually serving on a carrier in the Pacific. After the war he attended Cornell University on the GI Bill, earning a degree in Engineering. It was also at Cornell that he met Suzanne Taylor, whom he married in 1951, and together they raised four children.

In the early 1960's, the couple settled in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, a suburb near the city line north of Philadelphia. With a partner, Jim founded the Alberti-Faller Company, a manufacturer's representative for commercial heating and air conditioning firms, which served the needs of the region well into the 1990's. Flying continued to be a passion, and with the successive ownership of Cessna and Beechcraft single engine planes, he and Suzanne (who earned her own pilot's license) flew regularly, traveling as far afield as the Bahamas.

Although Suzanne was five years his junior, Jim outlived her by twenty-one years. After her death in 1996, Jim spent a decade in Florida before his move to Peterborough. Suzanne had inherited a large rustic log summer home in the Adirondacks from her parents, and from the start of his life with Suzanne, Jim was a constant and enthusiastic steward of the property. After retirement he spent his summers there enjoying family, solitude, and his friendships within the lake community. His children and grandchildren are the fortunate beneficiaries of the love Suzanne and Jim devoted to that place.

Family was a central part of Jim's life. With Suzanne he persevered through the tumultuous challenges of child rearing in the 1960's and 1970's and eventually saw his progeny earn college degrees and have families of their own. Jim was enthralled with and entertained by his grandchildren. They, in turn, were both delighted and mystified by stories their parents would share about their own childhoods with their dad. Jim's children and grandchildren adored him and will miss him terribly.

Survivors include Jim's brother, Eugene Faller (Gladys), Bowling Green, Kentucky, and their six children; his three daughters and son; Martha Brown (Anthony) Berkeley, California; Nancy Strand, Bradenton, Florida; William Faller (Casey Jones), Temple, New Hampshire; and Amy Via, White Plains, New York; grandchildren, Simone and Georgia Brown, Jamie and Dylan Strand, Sam and Tess Faller, Rebecca Via; and great-granddaughters Jiana and Eliana Lockett and Beatrix Allore.

At Jim's request, there will be no memorial service. Memorial contributions in Jim's name can be made to: The Wild Center, 45 Museum Drive, Tupper Lake, NY 12986, and The Adirondack Public Observatory, 178 Big Wolf Road, Tupper Lake, NY 12986.