Mr. James W. (Jim) Bagley

November 13, 1927 - April 9, 2022

James W. (Jim) Bagley, Jr., 94, passed away peacefully at home on April 9, 2022. He was born in New York City, NY on November 13, 1927, the second son of James W., Sr., and Winifred A. (Astwood) Bagley. Jim was in his early teens when his family moved to Sackets Harbor, NY after his father enlisted in the Army and was stationed there. Jim did odd jobs for the enlisted men to earn extra money. He left Sackets Harbor High School to enlist in the Navy in WWII. He served on the USS Rhind in the Pacific where they accepted surrenders from Japanese on several islands. He was discharged in 1946, returned home to Sackets Harbor, finished high school and went to work for Northern Bell Telephone Company. He married the love of his life, Dawn (Gamble), in January 1950. They had two children, daugher Dean A. and son James T. In 1959 they moved to Florida, where Jim worked for General Telephone Company in St. Petersburg for a year before being hired by Southern Bell in Orlando, bringing him back into the Bell System and incorporating his previous time with the company. Once established in Orlando he encouraged his parents and younger siblings to also move to Orlando. He spent the rest of his career at Southern Bell (which later became the Bellsouth Corporation and then AT&T) as a Telphone “Pioneer”, retiring in 1982. He was a Past Master of FAM Lodge #135 of Sackets Harbor, NY. He loved boating and fishing and the family spent a great deal of time in Siesta Key, the Florida Keys, and on local lakes and rivers. He was the central Florida distributor for SeaCamper boats. He loved family get-togethers; garage sales and auctions, and the negotiating that went along with them, always looking for a good deal. He loved a good poker game and played regularly for years. He was a loving and devoted husband and family man, and the best father a kid could ever hope to have. The words here just don’t do him justice. He was the best! Ice cream was his favorite food group. Jim was predeceased by his parents, Jim and Winnie, his wife of 60 years, Dawn, his son Jim and his brothers, Kenneth C., Phoenix AZ and John F., Maitland, FL. He is survived by his daughter, Dean, Melbourne Beach, his sister and brother in law, Barbara and Bob Schaal, Sarasota, sister in law, Suzy Bagley, Maitland and many nieces and nephews. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him.