James Michael McNamara, a 40-year resident of Trumbull and beloved husband, father, and grandfather known for his dry wit and bear hugs, died on Saturday, August 10th, in his home after a brief but valiant fight against cancer. He was 82. Jim is survived by his wife of more than 53 years, Melanie Rohr McNamara, of Trumbull; son Michael McNamara and his wife, Sara, of Bethesda, MD; daughter Laura McNamara Cabo and her husband, Armando, of Somers, NY; son Kevin McNamara and his wife, Amy, of Mount Laurel, NJ; daughter Meghan McNamara Rogers and her husband, Chris, of London, England; fourteen grandchildren (Caitlin, Ellie, Lindsay and Ryan McNamara; Alex, Samantha, Sean and Allison Cabo; Luke, Kylie and Kelsey McNamara; and Scarlet, Lily and Vivian Rogers); numerous nieces, nephews and cousins; and many cherished friends. He is predeceased by his parents, Helen and Walter McNamara, and sister, Margaret McNamara Egan. Born in St. Paul, MN, on July 20, 1937, and raised in Milwaukee, WI, Jim attended Marquette University High School and earned both a bachelor’s degree and an MBA at Marquette University. It was through Marquette friends that he met the love of his life and partner in all adventures, his wife Melanie. Those adventures included two years in Nigeria in the late 1960s, where Jim served as Deputy Director of the nascent Peace Corps mission and where Jim and Melanie welcomed Michael and Laura into their lives. After short stints in five other states and with Kevin and Meghan in tow, Jim and Melanie settled in Trumbull in 1979. In addition to Jim’s tour with the Peace Corps, Jim’s career included 40 years in consumer products sales and 20 years as a financial advisor. When asked about his work, however, he would often recount tales of his first jobs delivering newspapers as a boy and selling hot dogs at the Milwaukee Braves baseball stadium. Jim donated his time and talents to numerous organizations, especially: Christ the King Catholic Church, where he was a frequent lector and eucharistic minister and integral to the finance committee; the Knights of Columbus; and the American Red Cross as a regular blood donor and member of the “gallon club” many times over. Visitation will take place on Friday, August 16th from 5-8 p.m. at Redgate Hennessy Funeral Home Main Street and 4 Gorham Place, Trumbull beginning with Praying the Rosary at 5pm. Funeral Mass will take place on Saturday, August 17th at 11 a.m. at Christ the King Catholic Church, 4700 Madison Avenue, Trumbull. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to www.AutismSpeaks.org. To send online condolences please visit www.redgatehennessy.com