It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of James (Jimmy/Jim) Joseph Bacchiocchi, father, brother and friend, who left us on July 12, 2024, at the age of 68. He was born on September 26, 1955, in Greenwood Lake, NY.
Jimmy is survived by his daughters Kristin Bacchiocchi-Stewart and Michele Leydon; sons-in-law Michael Stewart and Jason Leydon; his four grandchildren, Will and Emma Stewart, and Aria and Melody Leydon; brother Dominick Bacchiocchi; sister-in-law Sharon Bacchiocchi; his sisters Ida Bacchiocchi Campfield and Tina Baisley; brothers-in-law Fred Baisley and Charles Reinhart; and many nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his parents James and Evelyn Bacchiocchi, sister Evelyn (Toni) Reinhart, and sister Katherine (Kitty) Bacchiocchi.
Jimmy was a cobbler in Monroe, NY, where he was a lifelong resident. He bought Monroe Shoe Repair in 1977 and apprenticed with the previous owner by shining shoes when he was 12 years old. He was a well-known member of the community as a cobbler who treated his customers like friends, giving them a smile and a handshake at every visit. Monroe Shoe Repair was a pillar in the community when it was located on Millpond Parkway and later, Stage Road.
He was an avid hunter who proudly displayed his trophies in the shop. He loved watching sports on TV, playing softball, bowling, and playing golf for most of his life. He danced in his daughters’ dance recitals when his kids were small, and enjoyed spending time with family and friends. He collected many things: cars, Hess trucks, hunting gear, etc. He loved classic rock music and would sing/whistle-while-he worked every day, blasting the music from his boombox on the shelf; 92 Rock7 was a favorite where he would often win radio contests. He has been known to eat ice cream by the tub, eat butter by the pound on his baked potato, eat steak that was still moo-ing, and hide candy all over the place so nobody else could get their hands on it! He would laugh hard until tears streamed down his face and cry in the same way. In addition to his shoe repair business, he also did some landscaping and snow plowing for many families in Monroe, Highland Mills, and the surrounding area.
The family would like to thank the directors and residents of the Promenade Assisted Living in Middletown for their care and friendship for the past two years. They are grateful for the sense of community that he felt when he was there.
Celebration of life: Tuesday, July 16, 2024, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Smith, Seaman, and Quackenbush, Inc. Funeral Home, 117 Maple Ave., Monroe, NY.
Chapel service: Tuesday, July 16, 2024, at 7:45 p.m. Friends and family are invited to join us in honoring his memory and sharing stories of the many ways he made us laugh through the years.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Soles4Souls in Jimmy’s honor, as a reflection of his commitment to fixing shoes for the community for over 50 years. Your monetary donations will help the company ship shoes to people in need all over the world. For more information, please visit soles4souls.org/NashvilleKids.
Arrangements are by Smith, Seaman, and Quackenbush, Inc. Funeral Homes (845-782-8185 or ssqfuneralhome.com).