James J. Tromblay, 89

James J. “Jim” Tromblay, 89, of Bellefontaine, Ohio passed away at 2:08 P.M. Saturday, January 5, 2019 at the Dayton VA Medical Center.

He was born in Tupper Lake on February 11, 1929, to the late Patrick Joseph and Della (Henry) Tromblay. A daughter, Melinda Smith in 2016 and brothers, Robert, Donald, Peter, and Paul also preceded Jim in death.

On May 29, 1954, in Stanwood, Washington he married Linda Landry and she survives.

He is also survived by his children, Michele Tromblay, Yvonne (Charles) Elias and their children, Adrienne (Rick) Krysiak, and Steven Elias; Jean-Marie Arelt and her son, Paul Arelt; Joseph Tromblay; Jeffrey Tromblay and his son, David Tromblay; John (Michelle) Tromblay and their daughter, Kirsten Tromblay; Suzanne Tromblay; and his late daughter’s husband, Rick Smith and their children, Amanda, Mariah, and Rachel Smith; his wife’s sister, Emmalie (Larry) Silvester and a sister-in-law, Shirley Tromblay.

Jim graduated from Tupper Lake High School. At the age of 21, he enlisted in the Air Force to avoid being drafted by the Army and sent to Korea (two weeks later, he received his draft notification from the Army and was grateful he didn’t have to go). Jim was a 20-year veteran of the U.S Air Force. He began his journey stationed in Seattle, Washington at a governmental office, then Elemendorf AFB Alaska, to Cannon AFB New Mexico, to Incerlik AFB Turkey, then Keesler AFB Mississippi, to Ramstein AFB Germany, and finally the 664th A&W Squadron in Bellefontaine.

The family arrived in Bellefontaine in 1967. Jim was deployed to Vietnam in 1968 and returned in 1969. He retired as a Tech Sergeant in 1970 after 20 years of service.

After retirement, Jim worked for Rockwell International for ten years until they closed. He would also repair sewing machines for Linda’s Sewing and Yarn Shop.

Jim was a 52-year member of the St. Patrick Catholic Church, where he served until recently as an usher and handled the parish recycling. He loved God, his family, and his cat. Jim liked gardening, mowing grass, shoveling snow, yard sales, auctions, repairing and taking things apart.

A memorial mass was held on Friday, February 22, 2019 at the St. Patrick Catholic Church in Bellefontaine.

Burial followed at the Calvary Cemetery in Bellefontaine with military honors provided by the Logan County Veteran’s Honor Guard.

The arrangements were in the care of the staff of the Eichholtz Daring & Sanford Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Bellefontaine.