Obituary of James V. Polizzi

James “Jim”  Vincent Polizzi passed away on November 30, 2023 at the age of 79, in Freehold, NJ. Jim, a Brooklyn-born New Yorker, spent the last 12 years as a resident in Jackson, NJ where he enjoyed time with many wonderful people in his community including special cousins.  

Jim was born in 1944 to Pauline Rottman and James V. Polizzi Sr. Growing up in Brooklyn, Jim was a diligent student and track athlete winning many medals as a result of racing around Van Cortlandt Park. At the age of 14, Jim took a job as an usher at Radio City Music Hall.  After school he would take the subway into Manhattan where he changed into his uniform and worked multiple showings.  He was very proud of this job and had the opportunity to share the experience with his grandchildren in a behind the scenes tour in recent years.  

Jim was the first in his family to attend college, getting his degree from Baruch College CUNY where he met his lovely wife, Josephine (Jo), and life-long friends.  Education was extremely important to Jim and in addition to his undergraduate degree, he eventually went on to complete an Executive MBA and a PhD in Business Administration.  Jim had a long, successful career in business.  He spent many years working in advertising on Madison Ave. in NY and contributed to well known ad campaigns over the years.  After retiring from that work, he moved on to teaching business at Berkeley College where he integrated textbook information with his real life experiences.  He was a life-long learner and enjoyed reading and discussing with others.

After college before starting his career, Jim served in the US Navy starting in 1965. He then entered the US Naval Reserve where he was Honorably Discharged with the rank of Aviation Electrician.  He proposed to Jo before he left and the two married in August of 1967 upon his return.  This summer they celebrated 56 years of marriage.
 

Jim was very proud of his two daughters, Christine and Elizabeth, often sharing their news and accomplishments to whoever would listen.  His pride reached a whole new level with his beloved grandchildren - MacKenzie, Nathaniel, James and Andrew. He became the Grandpa that would sit on the floor and play games when they were small and evolved into one who would deep dive into their interests.  He loved showing his daughters and his grandchildren new things, exposing them to fine cuisine and telling many “back in the day” stories.

In his later years, Jim and Jo took many wonderful trips together with their close friends.  Jim was very excited by his “bucket list” trip to the Galapagos Islands however the trip he enjoyed planning most was the month-long 50th anniversary tour of Europe with his beloved Jo. They added these to their list which included many places in Europe and Asia as well as monthly jaunts to Atlantic City.  There was always a trip to be planned and Jim did a lot of research into the itinerary.  Jim loved to share his adventures with others often showing home videos and photos.  Jim and Jo took their grandchildren on a special trip each to foster a love of travel.

Jim is survived by his loving wife, Josephine, his brother Anthony (Lucille) Polizzi; his children Christine (Thos) Cochrane and Elizabeth (Sandy) Somers; grandchildren, MacKenzie Mary, Nathaniel Alexander, James Porter and Andrew Vincent; his many nephews, nieces, cousins and life-long friends. All of these he loved and touched deeply.

Visitation will be held at the Clayton & McGirr Funeral Home, 100 Elton-Adelphia Road (Route 524), Freehold Township on Friday, December 8, 2023 from 3:00 to 7:00 PM. Relatives and friends are invited to attend his 11:00 AM Graveside Service on Saturday, December 9, 2023 at St. Gabriel's Cemetery & Chapel Mausoleum, 549 Newman Springs Road, Marlboro. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to a charity of your choice. For information, directions, or to leave condolence messages to the family, please visit www.claytonfuneralhome.com.