James William Rosseel

James William Rosseel passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones at home, on February 22, 2026. Born February 19, 1949 to Charles T. Rosseel and Jane D. Harrington (McGinn), James lived with rare and admirable discipline, kindness, and unfailing faith.

A graduate of Assumption Preparatory School (1966), the College of the Holy Cross (B.A., 1970), and Georgetown University Law Center (J.D., 1976), James is a Vietnam War Veteran, who served as a Guided Missile Officer in the U.S. Navy. After building a decades' long career as a successful trial and appellate attorney and active member of the Worcester County Bar Association, who was distinguished by his zealous, principled advocacy, in 2001 James found his true calling as a public-school math teacher, first at Burncoat Middle School and then at Forest Grove Middle School. As an educator, James patiently guided students towards goals they never thought achievable. He never had a bad day in the classroom.

James is survived by his sons, Jesse C. Rosseel of Worcester; and Luke J. Rosseel, and his wife Meghan and their sons Abraham, Arthur, and Calvin Rosseel, of Berlin; his former wife and the mother of his sons, Cathleen M. Rosseel, of Worcester; and his siblings, Mary Jane McConnell, of Antioch, IL; Stephan Rosseel, of Worcester; Charles Rosseel, of Worcester; and Joan Marie Rosseel, of Waynesboro, VA.

Through his commitment to public service, both as a bar advocate and as a public teacher, James earned a reputation for working with others to accomplish audacious goals. He helped develop and coordinate multiple youth-oriented educational programs, including the Worcester Judicial Youth Corps and the James Rosseel Mentoring Program. James was also an active parishioner at St. John's Catholic Church in Worcester, and a supporter of numerous charitable causes. James inspired all who knew him by showing what can be accomplished through tenacious effort aimed at achieving the good of others. James will be sorely missed, and his memory will be cherished for generations to come.

An avid golfer, in the hours leading up to the April 2024 seizure that began the final chapter of his earthly life, James shot a 40 on front 9 at the course he called home, Green Hill Golf Course. James kept playing golf and he maintained a vibrant social life, family life, and spiritual life to the end, never wavering from his one-day-at-a-time attitude. With the help of caretakers including the teams of Dr. Tamar Berger at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Dr. Wenya Linda Bi at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and the home-care and hospice teams at Jewish Healthcare Center in Worcester (to whom James and his family are immensely grateful), James lived with a fervent faith, but he placed love and grace ahead of all else. He showed us that faith may guide a person, yet it is love and grace that carry us through sorrow and endure beyond death.

Calling hours will be held on Monday, March 2, 2026 at Athy Memorial Home, 111 Lancaster St., Worcester from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM. A funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, March 3, 2026 at St. John's Catholic Church, 40 Temple St., Worcester at 10 AM. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to the Dana Faber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA 02215.