James G Windish

James G Windish (Jim) passed away on February 28, 2026, in Alexandria, VA. He was born on June 25, 1935, in Shenandoah Heights, PA to Jessie and James L Windish. He had two siblings, Hazel and John.

He served in the US Navy in the 1950s, during which time he met his wife Rita while she was a nurse caring for his father.

Jim was an Air Traffic Controller in Pittsburgh, PA and at Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC until he retired at age 49.

Jim was passionate about hunting and fishing. He taught all his children and many of his grandchildren how to fish. He enjoyed doing metal work and talking about custom guns. In his later years he especially loved watching westerns on TV. He was a huge fan of the Washington Redskins/Commanders. Many Sundays were spent as a family watching these games.

He is survived by his lady friend, Betty Baker, the second amazing love in his life; his children- Kathryn (Thomas), James S (Pam), Carolyn (Peter), and John (Kathleen); and

11 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Rita T. Windish and his granddaughter, Jane Windish.

The Burial will be private.

There will be a Reception to honor Jim's life on

Saturday, March 7, 2026, from 1:00 pm-4:00 pm at:

The Haven Restaurant

1401 Belle Haven Rd.

Alexandria, VA 22307

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to one of these causes in his name:

The Mitochondrial Disease Foundation at UMDF.org

OR

Path Finders For Autism at PathfindersForAutism.org