James McCausland

James McCausland of Staten Island died at home after a long illness on 20 February 2022, aged 77, with his beloved wife Maureen Klette and son Bryan McCausland by his side. He is also remembered with love by his brother Michael McCausland of Columbia, SC; his sister Mary Dionne of Colchester, VT; his daughter Clare McCausland of Melbourne, Australia; and his extended family and friends. He was sadly preceded in death by his dearly loved younger sister Kathleen in 2013.

Born on 23 July 1944 in New York, New York to Irish immigrants, James and Catherine McCausland (nee Cullinane), James grew up in Washington Heights, Manhattan where he was educated at Incarnation School, St Joseph’s Barrytown, and at Manhattan College. In 1971 he boarded an Israeli freighter with his close friend Thomas Krause (d. 2020) for Australia, where he made his home for the next 37 years.

In 1975 after a blind date at a mutual friend’s barbeque, James met and married Leonie Walshe, and across 27 years of marriage together they raised with love two children, Clare (b. 1976) and Bryan (b.1978).

After a short period working in a Sydney abattoir, James was able to draw on his experience at the New York Times, writing for The New York Stock Exchange and as a financial reporter for United Press International to write on finance for the country’s national newspaper, The Australian. He then shortly became the Finance Editor, Night Editor and Day Editor at Melbourne’s major daily newspaper, The Age, before moving into the company’s senior executive team as Business Manager, in which he oversaw the paper’s ‘rivers of gold’ classified and display advertising, marketing and circulation departments.

James left a lasting cultural legacy in his adopted country, writing the screenplay for and acting in the iconic Australian film Mad Max, directed by George Miller, in 1979 and chairing the board of the inaugural Melbourne International Comedy Festival from 1987 to 1993 – now an institution in Australia and in the comedy world.

After surviving extensive surgery and a grim prognosis with advanced maxillary cancer in 2007, James returned to the United States to visit his family. Here at a friend’s Celtic New Year’s party in October 2007 he met his childhood friend and then second wife, Maureen. They married in October 2008, celebrated their union in June 2009, and so began his second lease on life. James and Maureen lived 12 years deeply in love on Staten Island, surviving two hurricanes, the tragic loss of Maureen’s daughter Margaret, and his illness across his later years.

James lived highs and lows. He was gregarious, quick-witted, passionate and had a flawless memory for detail. He was a walking textbook on the American Civil War and was an ardent fan of the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Yankees, and the Australian Rules Carlton Football Club. He laughed loudly and cried readily. He knew the answer to every trivia question, knew every author’s writing, every composer’s tune,and paid every person he met with respect. He loved his family very deeply.

James leaves behind a loving network of family and friends in the United States, Australia and in Ireland. Friends in the United States may visit at the A. Azzara Funeral Home located at 183 Sand Lane, Staten Island, NY on Monday 28 February from 4pm to 8pm. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Tuesday 1 March at 10.30 am at the Holy Rosary Catholic Church, 80 Jerome Avenue, Staten Island NY.  
Arrangements also include a private cremation. 

Face masks and social distancing rules apply at the funeral home and church. Thank you !