James Joseph McGrath

James Joseph McGrath obituary, Middletown, NY

James Joseph McGrath

James McGrath Obituary

Obituary published on Legacy.com by Millspaugh-Ronk-Tighe/Wallkill Funeral Home on Jan. 4, 2026.
James Joseph McGrath passed away Tuesday, December 30th, 2025. He was 74.

The son of the late James McGrath and Theresa Wolfe McGrath, he was born January 18th, 1951, in Bronx, NY.
James is survived by his wife, Denise McGrath; daughters, Tanya Carmen McGrath, Christian Shannon McGrath, and Noel Lynn McGrath. He was the beloved grandfather to Joshua, Mariya, and Izabella. Also, many cherished pets including Star Dior and Jingle who are with us.
He is also survived by his brother-in-law, Glenn Arizmendi, and his wife, Laura; nieces, Lindsay and Cara; and cousins, Diane Stokes and John Barry.
James was loved by so many, and he had a huge heart. His faith in God was strong. He was his family's biggest fan, protector, and their rock. He took great care of his wife, daughters, grandchildren, and pets with all his heart. He valued his customers and was passionate about his business. He loved watching movies, playing records, live music, aviation shows, cooking, grilling. He was big fan of classic automobiles. He was an animal lover. His sense of humor was a big part of his personality. He was really full of life and a great storyteller. He appreciated the little things in life. He had remarkable resilience and always overcame anything standing in his way. He was a true Irish man. He loved sports and was a big fan of the Giants and Yankees. He was an excellent athlete, and was scouted by major league baseball teams, but chose to be fully present with his family.
James lived a full and meaningful life, and the impact he made will continue to be felt by all who knew and loved him. His presence will be deeply missed, but his memory will live on.
A celebration of life will take place January 17th, 12:00pm to 1:30pm, with a service starting at 12:30 promptly. Please wear what you feel comfortable in; colors are welcome. The service will take place at Liberty Church, 510 M&M Road, Middletown, NY, where James served as a loyal member of the church foundation since 1989.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of James Joseph McGrath, please visit our floral store.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

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Elias Flores

January 10, 2026

It was my privilege & pleasure to know Jim, and be his friend in the few years we held bible studies together on Saturday mornings. In our interactions I saw how much he loved his family and was concerned for their well-being. He served with joy at Liberty Church, always had a kind word & attitude. He will be missed by those who knew him.

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Millspaugh-Ronk-Tighe/Wallkill Funeral Home

12 Bonaventura Ave., Wallkill, NY 12589

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