James B. French

Mr. James Benton “Jim” French, age 70, of Whitesboro, passed away on Sunday, February 18, 2007 after a long illness. Born in Utica on April 29, 1936, Jim was the son of the late James Benton French II and Elizabeth “Elsie” (Fluke) French. He attended Utica Free Academy, Williston Academy in Easthampton, MA, and Amherst College in Amherst, MA. He wed his beloved wife, Dianne (Lloyd) French in September 1980. After serving in the US Army for two years, Jim became a salesman for Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Co. Subsequently, he went into business with his father, founding the French Mill Supply Corporation which specialized in cutting tools and maintenance supplies. He enjoyed his years as part of the faculty at Riverside School of Aeronautics. In 1977 he joined Empire Airlines (now US Airways) as an aircraft mechanic, working his way up to retire as Supervisor of Avionics in 1992. He also served as an aircraft maintenance consultant in the 1990’s, providing services to the Indonesian airlines PT Garuda, PT Merpati Nusantara, and PT Sakanusa Dirgantara among many others. In retirement, he and Dianne ran a U-Pik-Em blueberry patch each August from their farm on Penn Mountain in Steuben. He also enjoyed his vocation as Boy Scout master for Troop 13 of South Utica during the 1970’s. Jim was a voracious reader and was known to devour books in as little as two hours. He was a fan of HO scale trains, Handel’s Messiah, Diet Coke, Dick Francis, the Boston Red Sox, the New York Giants, and the New York Rangers. He bore an uncanny resemblance to the actor Wilfred Brimley, and he was a devoted listener of Imus in the Morning and Bill O’Reilly. He could fix anything, given enough duct tape, clamps, and coat hangers. He also knew everything, even if he was wrong about some of the stuff he knew. He had a green thumb, a tinkerer’s brain, and a woodman’s heart. He will be sorely missed. Jim is survived by his wife Dianne; his sons and daughters-in-law, David C. and Melissa French, and Michael J. and Jennifer French, all of Utica; his daughters and their families, Linda S. French of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Patricia A. French of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Leslie F. and Eric Seidman of Westport, Connecticut, and Elizabeth M. French and partner Andie Flynn of Pfafftown, North Carolina. Also surviving are his former wife Barbara Barnhardt and her daughter, Maria Moses; his step-daughters, Mary Janak and husband John of Odenton, Maryland, and Theresa Waterman and husband Mark of New York Mills; his step-son, Aaron M. Stottlar of Whitesboro; his sister, Gail S. Dorn of Hamilton, NY; his brother and sister-in-law, John S. and Sally French of California, 18 grandchildren, 7 nieces and nephews, and his beloved dog Maggie. He was predeceased by his first wife, Lois Murphy. The family wishes to thank Dr. Chris Clark and Kathy Sanger, RN, Dr. Samir Desai, Dr. Lawrence, Dr. Kenneth Ortega, and Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc. for their kind care. Visitation will be held Thursday from 4-6 at the Eannace Funeral Home, Inc. 932 South St., corner of Hammond Ave. By family request, please omit floral offerings. For those wishing to do so, please consider memorial donations in Jim’s honor to the Adirondack Railway Preservation Society; envelopes will be available at the funeral home. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend Jim’s Celebration of Life which will commence on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. at the conclusion of visitation.

James B. French

April 29, 1936 - February 18, 2007