James A. Wesley Jr.

Jimmy (as affectionately known to family and close friends), was born at the Philadelphia Naval Hospital on April 28,1953, to his loving parents, James & Muriel Wesley. He was the second of four beloved children, consisting of himself, his older sister Pam, his younger brother Glenn, and his youngest sister Darlene. Though he was not the oldest of the four, even as a boy, his innate outgoing personality shined through. Jimmy would always take the lead & want to be included. As children, he and his siblings formed a club, complete with weekly meetings that he officiated.
His youngest sister Darlene joked, "Jimmy was the president, Pam was the Vice President, Glenn was the treasurer, and I was the member"!
Though born in Philadelphia, Jimmy spent his earliest years living in Rhode Island, Boston, and a host of other places. They moved around a lot. Jimmy's father, was a Navy officer (Chief gunners' mate), which required the family to reside on the Naval bases where he would be periodically stationed.
Pam, the oldest affectionately adds, "no matter where we were living, Jimmy made sure we always had new friends".
The family eventually returned to Philadelphia in 1964, where Jimmy would fatefully, and at the time unknowingly meet his best friend and truest love, Toni Tavares. On Wednesday, February 14th 1976, Jimmy took her hand in marriage. They would begin a beautiful partnership spanning 48 years. Through all the ups and downs, they remained forever soulmates.
By high school, Jimmy had developed into a strong and capable young man. Always up for a challenge, he had been a multi-sport athlete in the Philadelphia public school system. These sports consisted of Football, Basketball, and Baseball. He had also formed a fascination with music and became a masterful drummer. As a member of his junior high school band, it was apparent that he was talented. His mother, ever supportive, gifted him a brilliant copper toned drum set. She allowed him to set it up on their enclosed front porch, where he would practice, and often lead jam sessions with his siblings and neighborhood friends. He would continue to hone his craft musically, and go on to play for a plethora of entertainment venues.
Music was his passion, but his trade was in sales. Again, that charm allowed him to excel as a salesman. He was jokingly said to be able to sell water to a whale. Jimmy worked in the insurance industry throughout his life with multiple companies as an agent, meeting the needs of the clientele he'd established. Jim went on to earn an Associate's Degree in Computer science from the Institute of Computer Technology, He applied his knowledge by teaching at a senior's computer literacy program. In his leisure, Jim dabbled in cooking, carpentry, and home remodeling. He was a bit of a self-taught tradesman and handyman.
Jimmy was also an avid fan of all Philly sports. Eagles football, 76ers basketball, and Phillies baseball were his favorites, in that order. He could so often be seen yelling at the TV, or jumping for joy, depending on how his teams were playing. 76ers basketball was a passion Jim shared with his daughter Kia. The last live sporting event he attended was spent with her. They had sky box seats and the Sixers won that evening. What a precious evening they had together.
In 2017, his beloved Birds finally brought home a Superbowl championship. It was during this time; Jim had been experiencing a lot of difficulty with his eye sight and communicating effectively due to his condition. Jim's son Jason had come to watch the Superbowl with him that year. He described the look of extreme joy and satisfaction that flooded Jim's affect when they won, to be one of the most heartwarming things he'd ever seen, as he hadn't seen him so expressively happy in such a long time.
Jimmy had a heart of gold, and if you found yourself to be upset with him for whatever reason, you couldn't remain so for very long. He was the life in any social situation, and had an infectious sense of humor & wit. Charismatic as he was, Jim had an innate charm to him, which was the hallmark of what it felt like to be in his presence and loved by him.
James is re-joined in the afterlife with his parents James & Muriel Wesley
Jimmy's greatest love was his devoted wife and soulmate Toni Wesley
His self-proclaimed greatest life accomplishments are his loving daughter, Kia Norris (Chemaine), and son Jason Wesley (Lori)
He is survived by his siblings Pam Tennessee (Steve), Glenn Wesley (Del), and Darlene Adams (Chuck).
Jim is mourned by his sisters and brother-in-law Carla Holmes (Keith), Stephen Tavares (Wanda), and Cheryl Tavares.
He is cherished by a beautiful host of cousins, nieces, nephews, and close friends who filled his heart with love all of his days, as he loved his family more than life itself.
Relatives and friends are invited to his viewing on Sunday, March 17th from1:00 – 2:00 PM at the Farnelli Funeral Home, 504 N. Main Street, Williamstown, where a funeral service will be held at 2:00 PM. Cremation will be held privately following services.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital by visiting www.StJude.org