James H Golding

James H. Golding, 74, passed away on March 25, 2025, at Brighton Place, San Diego, CA.
Jim was born in Trenton, NJ and grew up in Ewing Township. He attended Incarnation Catholic School through 8th grade. Jim and his brother Mike played on Ewing Township Little League and Babe Ruth teams for several years. Jim's favorite hobby was collecting baseball cards.
Jim, nicknamed "Gold" to his close friends, was a graduate of Ewing High School, Class of 1968. After graduation, he worked at local grocery stores. Later he worked as a salesman for a Philadelphia gourmet food distributor.
Jim set his sights on California and moved to San Diego circa 1978. He spent most of his life in Ocean Beach. Jim loved the ocean view; his bungalow was several blocks from the OB pier and he enjoyed going there. Jim fit right in with the bohemian vibe near the Pacific shore.
Jim worked for 8 years as a UPS driver. He then took a course on silk screening and started his own T-shirt business, designing clothing for local schools and selling merchandise at the Spring Valley swap meet for many years. Jim enjoyed combing the market for baseball cards, sports paraphernalia, old record albums, mirrors etc. He was proud of his eclectic collection.
Jim was an avid sports fan. He liked having friends over to watch sporting events on TV or hang out at the local sports pub. He loved basketball and was a longtime Boston Celtics fan. He enjoyed going to Padres baseball games, but he was always a Phillies/Eagles fan at heart.
When Jim fell on hard times in 2023, he had the support of family and friends. Joan and Ken visited and were involved with his care. Jim was fortunate to have 2 good friends, Tom Ryba and John Conte checking up on him. Tom & John were instrumental in helping Jim transition to Independent Living. Jim really appreciated their help - taking him out to eat or to a Padres game or driving him around for errands and appointments. When Jim was diagnosed with cancer, Tom & John visited him at Sharp Memorial Hospital. In January 2025, Carol & Bill were with Jim when he was transferred to Brighton Place and put into hospice care. The Brighton Place staff and VITAS team kept Jim comfortable in his final days.
Jim was a very sociable guy; he had the gift of gab. Jim lived his life to the fullest and on his own terms. He was truly a maverick. He will be missed by family and friends.
Jim is predeceased by his parents, Henry and Laura (Matysik) Golding of Ewing; his brother Michael Golding of Ewing. He is survived by his sister and her partner, Carol Golding and Bill Hurley of Doylestown, PA; his sister and brother-in-law Joan and Kenneth Baggaley of Hamilton; his nephews, Ryan Foster of Doylestown, PA and Bri Baggaley of Hamilton; his aunt and uncle, Lucille and Karl Meyer of Ocoee, FL, as well as many cousins.
Private service and burial of cremains will be at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA. To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of James, please visit our Tree Store.