James Leahy Jr.

James E. Leahy Jr. passed away at his home in Watsonville, CA on Sept 22, 2015. He was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer six years ago, but prayed deeply and called upon his well-known, uncanny toughness to extend his life to spend more time with his family and show his grandchildren love for as long as possible.

He was born in Quincy, Massachusetts on March 27, 1952, but became a Watsonville resident in 1978. He was a familiar face to many in Watsonville as "Jim the phone man", having worked locally for the phone company 37 years. One of his favorite things to do would be to point out people and places and say, "You see that guy, I fixed his phone"

Along with being an avid hunter and outdoorsman, he was also known by friends and family as "The Chicken Man", for his love of raising chickens. He was not just a hardworking man with a big family; he was one of the hardest working men, with a self-sacrificing devotion to his family. A walk in the wilderness, the adventure of the hunt, and, yes, the crowing of roosters were all he needed to refocus on what was important to him, his family.

Preceded in death by his mother, Elizabeth Leahy; he is survived by his father, James E Leahy Sr.; his brother Robert Leahy; and his sister, Deborah Ford.

Jim Leahy loved his wife of 45 years, Sharon Leahy, like something right out of a story book. Together they raised six children - James III, Michael, Daniel, Adam, Joseph, and Samantha Leahy. His children gave him 11 Grandchildren - Anastasia, Vincent, Dominic, Santino, Sophia, Caleb, Adelaide, Cora, Joseph Jr., Lucy, and Abigail. Rob Rothhammer and his children Gwynn and Adrian also considered Jim, Dad and Grandpa.

Jim Leahy spoke with a wry sense of humor, absolute honesty, and subtle charm. He will be missed dearly by all who knew him.

Visitation Services are on Tuesday, October 6 from 3:00pm-7:00pm at Ave Maria Memorial Chapel in Watsonville. Funeral Services are at Green Valley Christian Center at 10:30am on Wednesday, October 7. Graveside services are immediately after at Pajaro Valley Memorial Park at the foot of Hecker Pass in Watsonville.