Menu
Search by Name
Search by Name
FUNERAL HOME
James Rinaldo Obituary
James (JR) P. Rinaldo was serenaded by his family as he went to heaven on March 10, 2014.
JR was born in Akron, Ohio and lived in Green, Ohio for 43 years. He worked at BF Goodrich for 46 years and after retirement worked part time for ServePro. He attended Queen of Heaven Catholic Parish.
He loved the Boston Red Sox, singing, playing guitar, playing pool, spending time with his family and watching sports.
He will be remembered for his loving heart, funny jokes, big hugs and warm smiles.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Nancy; father, Salvatore; his sisters, Nancy Maselli and Angie Ashley; and his brothers, Tommy Reynolds, Frankie Reynolds, Leon Rinaldo and Tommy Rinaldo.
He is survived by his wife and the love of his life, Susan Rinaldo; his five daughters, Sheila (Dan) Baker, Brenda (Scott) Boulton, Angel (Nick) Smith, Charlotte (Seth) Busche and Jamie (Josh) Maximovich; 13 grandchildren, six great grandchildren; sisters, Grace Wagner and Annemarie Labin; brother, Joseph Rinaldo, many nieces, nephews, wonderful friends, and beloved pets, Rocky and Roxy.
Funeral services 1 p.m. Saturday, March 15, 2014 at Ciriello & Carr Funeral Home, 39 S. Miller Road, Fairlawn, OH 44333, where friends may call from 11 a.m. to service time.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for James Rinaldo
Sponsored by Akron Beacon Journal.
Josh maximovich
April 14, 2020
You were the best father in law, grandpa and friend a son could ever ask for. I sure do miss all of your compliments and happiness!
Jill Haralson-Gardner
March 20, 2014
Dear Sheila & Brenda,
I remember your mom & dad from the old neighborhood in Kenmore. Your dad was always so funny, making jokes & singing. I'm so very sorry for your loss.
Jamie Maximovich
March 16, 2014
My Daddy,
Where do I begin..from the time I was a very small child, my Dad meant the world to me. He made me feel whole, made me feel loved, and made me feel special. Even in the hard times, he always reminded me of all the wonderful things we have to be thankful for. He talked to me and offered his wise words and most of all, he listened. To share with you a few things my Daddy and I “always” talked about every time I saw him:
He would say: I love you Pookie Poo..
I would say: I love you too Daddy, you are the best.
AND then we would hug – I would always hug him just a little extra to make sure he knew how much I loved him.
He would always remind me of how much he loved me, and was proud of me.
This wonderful man was the person that taught me to be a “good” person, to love, to laugh, to cry, to give people a chance, to sing, to play baseball, to know what things meant in sports. And, he always reminded me that he loved my mom so much.
I will miss so many things that we did: like riding our bikes together around the block, his drop ins after work just to say hello, our dinners together, our karaoke marathons – things about him: his smile, his laugh, his jokes, him calling me Pookie.. I could go on and on…
I know I will never be whole again, but I also know that now I have a guardian angel to watch over me and my family. He may be gone but I will see him again someday and what a glorious day that will be.
With Love,
His Pookie
Giardinas
March 15, 2014
We too had such a major loss to our family on the same day. My condolences, to Sue, Jamie and all of Jims family. May the Lords light shine brightly and guide him home. God bless you all.
How you can show support
Follow
Get email updates whenever changes are made.
Send flowers
Consider sending flowers.
Add photos
Share their life with photo memories.
Plant trees
Honor them by planting trees in their memory.
Donate in Memory
Make a donation in memory of your loved one.
Share this page
Invite other friends and family to visit the page.
March 15, 2014
May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow.
Douglas Garman
March 14, 2014
Condolence's to the Rinaldo Family, I lived up the street from Jimmy & his family back in the 1940's Akron.. Doug Garman of Flagstaff, AZ
Ginny Broadhurst Rorabaugh
March 14, 2014
Sue, Joe, Sheila, Brenda, Angel & Entire Family,
I worked with Jimmy (as I always called him) in the Adhesives Dept. at BFG. From the day I started he was always the first one to tell me "Good morning" as I walked into the office. He always was so likeable and such a nice guy.....and what a voice. I would always know Jimmy was getting ready for lunch when I would hear him singing outside in the lobby. He was a very compassionate man who talked at great length about his daughters and his wife. My husband, Phil, and I attended Sheila's wedding where he was a very proud Dad as he walked his daughter down the aisle. We were there during Sues pregnancy with Angel and saw how very excited he was at her birth. Not too long after that we moved to Erie, PA., then Massachusetts and over the years lost contact with Jimmy. However, he was always the top name on the list when we recalled our great memories from BFG. I know he was a loving husband and father. I can only imagine how wonderful he was as a grandfather and great-grandfather.
I am happy your family sang him into Heaven since music was always such a large part of him and his life. He was probably smiling all the way. I am really sorry we cannot attend the calling hours and funeral, but know we are with all of you in our thoughts and prayers. Rest assured Jimmy will always be the top name associated with the BFG Adhesives Dept. He was one of a kind. He will be missed.
Rest easy, Jimmy, and sing with the angels and God. I will look for you at the Red Sox games.....
Betty Jo (Hoch) Mathias
March 14, 2014
Here are some comments from a Facebook site of SIA alumni:
Betty Jo Mathias RIP, Jimmy. Always had a smile, and free advice.
Shellee Kane-Urdiales Oh my gosh RIP JR!
Kim Mumaw-Singleton Awww. RIP Jimmy. Great guy.
Cathy Zinn So sorry to hear that. I agree he was a great guy!
Bob Morrow RIP my friend. Definitely one of the good guys
Kathy Shaw Jimmy was a great guy - always a smile and a friendly comment
Marcus Mullen Wow! JR was real good to me. I really enjoyed talking to him. Rip Jimmy.
Tobin Enz he was great when i came to BFG he made me feel like i have worked there forever
Ray Cornwell RIP JR great guy. He will be missed.
Mike Rinaldo
March 13, 2014
Dear Uncle Jim
I just want to say Thank You Very Much
For teaching me how to properly enjoy a Boston Red Sox game eating peanuts hotdogs and holding a transistor radio up to one's ear.
And to develop my own version of the great sense of humor you and my dad both share that makes times of difficulty despair & sadness easier to handle ……..and in most cases quenches bad attitudes & moments of anger in others.
I use it at every opportunity, and must admit …maybe just a little too much at times
but I have found it's a more useful against anger bitterness and frustration than any other weapon on the planet.
My two favorite comedic things you taught me to do are
1. How to imitate the sound of a cheering crowd
Used to express jubilation approval and when done accurately, sounds pretty cool
2. How to deliver the “nice material” gag
This you used on me in 1975 at the Peninsula Nite Club where I was working as a parking lot attendant at the time And you, my Dad Leo Spishak, & George Mikan were also there playing a gig
Properly dispensed by slightly gripping some loose part of the victims apparel ( shirt sleeve, coat ,scarf) between one's middle finger & index fingers while simultaneously rubbing the thumb and index finger in a back and forth motion as if the material was actually between them instead of the other two fingers & saying “Oh ..Nice material!”
And then watch the victims facial expression develop as they look down into a twisted sort of mix between confusion & wonderment of…. What… in the heck ….are you doing
The results - Priceless !
For me that will forever go down in history as My Uncle Jim maneuver
Love,
mike
March 13, 2014
I worked with Jimmy at BFG what a great man, he always had a smile and kind word.. prayers to the family- Toby Enz
Donald Karaiskos
March 13, 2014
To Joseph Sorry for the loss of your brother. He must have gotten his love for the Red Sox from you. Donald (Butch) Karaiskos your friend from long, long ago.
Phil Rorabaugh
March 13, 2014
Sue and Family,
I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of JR (Jimmy to us in the Adhesives plant) I had the great opportunity to play Softball, Flag Football, and Basketball for about 8 years as well as work and eat lunch with jimmy every day in the luch room 1nt the 1970"s. What a Boston Fan for sure. But more than that what a kind and loving Father, Husband and I am sure Grandpa and Great Grandpa. So sorry that I had to move so far away but he was always in my thoughts and memories. May god take him in to his hands and let the music begin;
BH
March 13, 2014
My deepest sympathy to the family. Our creator invites us to approach him in prayer, to pour out our heart to him. (Psalms 68:2) May he grant you peace, strength and comfort during this time of sadness.
George and Fran Mikan
March 13, 2014
Dear Sue and Family,
I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Jim. My thoughts immediately went back to the
wonderful time we had playing in Joe Rinaldo "GoodTimes Band". For over 25 years we played weddings, parties, clubs etc. and I must say I truly
miss those times. Playing with Joe, Leo and Jim will
always hold a very special place in my heart. My memories of Jim are many. He was a true Gentlemen, fine musician and terrific singer, Loving Husband and Father. He will be truly missed. Sue and family, God's blessing on all of you at this very difficult time.
George and Fran Mikan
Penny Cheatwood/Schweikert
March 13, 2014
My Dad, George Cheatwood, worked with Jim at Goodrich and played baseball with him on a Goodrich team. I remember Jim would pick Dad up for games since we didn't own a car. Many times I would go along to watch the games. Mr Rinaldo (as I called him) was always very friendly and kind to me. A very nice man
Darlene Mason
March 13, 2014
sorry for your loss Brenda and Sheila. are prayers are with you and the family, the davidsons
Ron Trent
March 13, 2014
I've played pool with JR for well over 10 years. This came as a huge surprise to most of us who played "golf" with JR almost 7 days a week. My sincerest condolences to the family. .......Rest in Peace, Jim
Showing 1 - 17 of 17 results
Make a Donation
in James Rinaldo's name
Memorial Events
for James Rinaldo
Mar
15
Calling hours
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Ciriello & Carr Funeral Home - Fairlawn39 S Miller Road, Fairlawn, OH 44333
Mar
15
Funeral services provided by:
Ciriello & Carr Funeral Home - Fairlawn39 S Miller Road, Fairlawn, OH 44333
People and places connected with James
Recent Obituaries
Recent Obituaries
How to support James's loved ones
Should I Send Sympathy Flowers?
What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative?
Read more
What Should I Write in a Sympathy Card?
We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time.
Read more
Resources to help you cope with loss
How to Cope With Grief
Information and advice to help you cope with the death of someone important to you.
Read more
Estate Settlement Guide
If you’re in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist.
Read more
Obituaries, grief & privacy: Legacy’s news editor on NPR podcast
Legacy's Linnea Crowther discusses how families talk about causes of death in the obituaries they write.
Read moreWays to honor James Rinaldo's life and legacy
Obituary Examples
You may find these well-written obituary examples helpful as you write about your own family.
Read more
Obituary Templates – Customizable Examples and Samples
These free blank templates make writing an obituary faster and easier.
Read more
How Do I Write a Eulogy?
Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love.
Read more
