James Raymond Avellini MD

Most people don't decide to go to medical school in another country with three kids and one on the way, but Jim Avellini wasn't most people. The traits that made him an outstanding physician - a strong work ethic, the ability to quickly assess facts and make a decision under pressure, compassion, and a wealth of knowledge- also made him the kind of friend, brother, father, father-in-law, or grandfather you needed, whether you knew it or not.

James Raymond Avellini was born on June 8, 1948, in Hell’s Kitchen in New York City. He was the eldest child of the late Hugo and Josephine (nee Cambareri) Avellini and the older bother to Rocco Avellini and the late Eveann Boyle. He was raised in Bensonhurst in Brooklyn with his extended and close-knit Italian-American family from where he learned the values of prioritizing family, hard work, self-reliance, and "doing it the right way the first time." He worked for many years in the family's Carvel store on Avenue U in Gravesend and years later would still go behind the counter of a local ice cream shop to demonstrate the proper way to make a cone or an egg cream (chocolate goes last).

He graduated from St. Mary, Mother of Jesus School and was part of the first graduating class of Nazareth Regional High School in East Flatbush. James met the love of his life Susan at a party in Joanie Keeling’s backyard when he was 18 years old. They were married on October 17, 1970, at St. Mark's Church in Sheepshead Bay and recently celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary. James is survived by his wife, Susan (nee Horty), his five children, Keri Donohue (Christopher), Suzanne Wagner, Jenine Avellini, Jami Battle (Anthony), and James Raymond Avellini, Jr., and his seven grandchildren, Henry James, Molly Mae, Matthew Denis, George Evan, Mary Reagan, Anthony James (AJ), and Jackson Best. He will also be missed by Alejandra Gomez, his exchange student from Chile who never left and became part of the family.

Also known as Jim, Jimmy, Jamsie, Jimmy Sweets, Dr. A, Doc, Dad, Grandpa, Bucca, and Poppy, James was larger than life and he went through his life with great enthusiasm, believing that there was nothing that he couldn't do if he worked hard enough. After the birth of his third child, he went back to school and graduated from Brooklyn College in 1976. He was then accepted into the medical school at the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara. He took crash courses to become fluent in Spanish and moved his young family to Mexico for the adventure of a lifetime. James and Susan returned to New York to raise their family on Staten Island while he did his General Surgery residency and Urology Fellowship at Downstate Medical Center, served as Chief Resident, and later opened his practice in Bay Ridge.

James loved spending time with his family at his beach house and being on the water. He enjoyed crabbing and fishing but rarely had many keepers. He was a long suffering fan of the New York Giants and swore they would be the death of him. He enjoyed restoring his cherished Oldsmobile 442 and bringing it to car shows. He shared his passion for model trains with his grandkids, buying them numerous sets and setting up a layout in his basement. He made it a point to keep up his lifelong friendships from childhood, organizing meals, trips, parties, poker nights and making countless memories together, likely some of which he is taking to his grave.

If you knew Jim, you know that Thanksgiving and Christmas were his favorite time of year. In 1979, he began a tradition of getting his family up extremely early to camp out on Central Park West for the best view of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. This tradition continues today, rain, snow, or freezing cold temperatures. An extremely generous person, he embodied the true spirit of Christmas by treating friends, family, and sometimes strangers to lavish gifts, holiday shows, and special meals, culminating in his famous Christmas Eve dinner of the Seven Fishes. However, his generosity ended where his fried shrimp began.

James passed peacefully on November 28, 2025, with Susan and his five children by his side as “Spirit in the Sky” by Norman Greenbaum played (per his request). Though his presence will be deeply missed, his legacy will continue to guide and inspire those who loved him. Come and celebrate the life of Jim Avellini with us at Cusimano & Russo Funeral Home, 2005 West 6th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11223, on December 4 and December 5, 2025, from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Funeral Mass to follow at St. Mark Church, 2609 East 19th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11235 on Saturday December 6, 2025 at 10:30 a.m. Cremation service to follow at Green-Wood Crematory Chapel, 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11232. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Toys for Tots.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Toys for Tots, accessible at https://www.toysfortots.org/.