Jimmy Ross Branch

POUGHKEEPSIE – Jimmy Ross Branch, 80, passed away peacefully, with his daughter, Miko Branch at his side, on Sunday, August 20, 2023 at Vassar Brothers Medical Center.
Born on May 22,1943 in Nash County, NC, Jimmy was the son of the late Charlie Ann and Jessie Mae (Pittman) Branch.
Raised in Poughkeepsie, NY, he attended The Columbus School and Poughkeepsie High School where Jimmy was well known as an all-star basketball player and athlete. He then served in the US Air Force stationed in Alaska and lived in Los Angeles, CA before returning back to the east coast to raise his family in Harlem, NY and then Queens, NY.
Jimmy earned his master's degree in education from Queens College and later taught math at The Rothchild School in Brooklyn, NY before opening his own real estate firm in Queens, NY.
Once Jimmy's children graduated from college, he moved back to the Sugar Hill section of Harlem, NY before making his final return back to his hometown in Poughkeepsie, NY in 2012. Jimmy became a member of Beulah Baptist Church in Poughkeepsie, NY where his late mother, Jessie Branch was also a member.
An avid reader and historian, Jimmy was also a music aficionado and especially enjoyed jazz music. He was super sharp and was always "dressed to kill". He applied that same detail to his lawn and garden which he kept in immaculate condition. In addition, he stayed physically fit with daily walks to the "Walkway Over the Hudson".
A great teacher, leader and father, Jimmy stressed the importance of self-sufficiency and independence while raising his children who would later become successful entrepreneurs under his detailed tutelage.
Jimmy is survived by his children, Miko Branch and Michael Johnson and his wife Wendy Johnson; his grandchildren, Faison Branch, Marcus and Chelsea Johnson; his great-grandchildren, Nala McCray and Aria McCray; his former wife, Karen Matsumoto; his brothers and their spouses, Irvin and Lorraine Dancy and Ricardo and Nilsa Dancy and many nieces, nephews, and friends. In addition to his parents, Jimmy was also predeceased by his daughter, Titi Branch; and his sister, Hilda Crittenden.
Services will be held this Saturday, August 26, 2023 at 11:00 am at Beulah Baptist Church, 92 Rev. Dr. Jesse V. Bottoms Jr. Way, Poughkeepsie, NY.
For online tributes, please visit Jimmy's Book of Memories at www.mchoulfuneralhome.com.