James Edward Lambert

James Edward Lambert of The Villages, FL passed away on Thursday, December 29, 2022 at the UF Health Leesburg Hospital after a brief illness. He was 77.
Jim was a husband, father, grandfather, educator, coach, and sports official with a heart the size of Texas, unconditional love for family and friends, and a gift for making people laugh.
Jim was the kind of guy who couldn't go anywhere without knowing someone or without being noticed. You could fill Dodger Stadium with all the people he knew.
Whether it was in a supermarket, diner, church, pizzeria, pool, stadium, gym, zipping around in his golf cart, or just walking down a street, there was always a familiar face who would call out to him.
But how they addressed him was another story. He had almost as many nicknames as he had Chuck Taylor High-Top kicks in his footwear collection.
His family called him Pop, Pop Pop, Spanky, and GUS (Great Uncle Spanky). His childhood buddies called him Bert. In sports circles, he was naturally called coach, and The King. Students and colleagues called him "Doc.''
There were some who referred to him as the "Lawn Ranger," because he often cut grass for a few bucks. Around The Villages in Florida, where he lived since 2013, he was Popeye or the Dodger guy.
In all his interactions, you could guarantee Jim would deliver one of his unique and snappy knee-buckling one-liners.
That was Jim's way. He always left you laughing, most of the time in stitches. If you needed a laugh and didn't know where to find him, he had that covered. A quick call to Jim's answering machine would always do the trick. He would imitate movie characters like Vito Corleone and throw out some side-splitting punchlines that would leave you on the floor. People would call multiple times a day to hear it again!
Sometimes Jim wouldn't even have to say a word to make you crack up. His eccentric wardrobe took care of that. Jim had a wild collection of hats, which included a Popeye The Sailor lid, a biker helmet, and scores of college and pro caps. He also had closets and dressers full of college and pro gear so he could represent teams from head-to-toe. And of course, he very seldom left the house without sporting a sweet pair of Chucks.
Jim was a true original!
In addition to the full tank of wisecracks he always had in his pocket, Jim threw around kindness like it was confetti.
Jim had an innate ability to make everyone feel better about themselves through random acts of compassion. Whether it was sitting down in the cafeteria with a student who was alone or organizing an annual Christmas Party for special needs students, Jim's daily goal was to find a way to brighten everyone's day. Armed with an arsenal of uplifting words and selfless actions, Jim found a way to make an impact on everyone's life.
Sister Percylee Hart, RSM, the Principal at Union Catholic, called Jim "a force, someone who touched lives and was loved by all the students and the community.''
His son, Jim, calls his dad "the best guy I've ever known, my best friend, my role model, and the salt of the Earth. The best thing in the world is being my dads son.''
Jim was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. on March 27, 1945 to Cornelius and Veronica (née Kenny) Lambert, and moved to Westfield, N.J. when he was 10. A devout Catholic, Jim graduated Holy Trinity High School in Westfield in 1963, where he served as an altar boy, and played basketball and baseball. He graduated from Jersey City State College in 1968. A lifelong educator, Jim taught special education for over 35 years between Cook Elementary School in Plainfield and Plainfield High School, and was a member of the faculty at Union Catholic High School in Scotch Plains, N.J. He was so adored by his students that he was named Teacher of The Year multiple times during his years at Plainfield High.
When Jim wasn't teaching, he could often be found hitting fungoes at baseball practice at Hub Stine Field or blowing a whistle on the hardwood.
He was a varsity baseball coach at Holy Trinity, served as the varsity baseball coach at Plainfield High School, and he coached football, softball and girls' soccer at Plainfield High, and was a baseball coach at Union Catholic.
Jim was a longtime certified member of IAABO (International Association of Approved Basketball Officials) and an NJSIAA-certified official for basketball, track and field, volleyball, tennis, and swimming.
He was also a proud member of the Westfield Knights of Columbus, and Chapter 13300 with St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Wildwood, Florida.
An avid sports fan, Jim's favorite teams were the New York Football Giants, and the Dodgers. Jim owned a massive collection of Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers memorabilia, including jerseys and photos of Duke Snider, his favorite athlete, and Jackie Robinson, and countless other players.
Jim also loved vacationing in Grand Case, French St. Martin, and going on cruises.
His favorite movies were The Godfather Trilogy and The Shawshank Redemption. Jim's favorite actor was Denzel Washington, his favorite football player was Joe Namath, and he loved Tyler Perry's work.
Jim is predeceased by sisters Judith Kuberiet of South Plainfield, Therese Lambert Kordelski of Naples, FL, and his brother, Father Cornelius Lambert of Cherry Hill, N.J.
He's survived by his loving and devoted wife, Dawne (née Anderson), son Jim Lambert and his wife, Janet, of Fanwood, N.J., daughter Elizabeth Lambert of Jackson, N.J., grandchildren Rachel, Justin, Jennifer, Jillian, and Steven, nieces, nephews, his cat, Chuck, along with a host of friends from The Villages Community.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to Catholic Charities, Special Olympics, or Stepping Stones Foundation.
In lieu of dress shoes, please wear a pair of Chuck Taylor Converse to the services. Anyone who knew Jim knows that's not a joke!
Visitation will be held Thursday, Jan. 5 from 4-8 p.m. at Dooley's Funeral Home, 556 Westfield Avenue, Westfield, N.J., 07090.
The Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, Jan. 6 at 10 a.m. at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Scotch Plains, followed by the interment at Hillside Cemetery in Scotch Plains.