James Francis Blaine

James (Jim) Blaine passed away peacefully in Houston TX on July 25, 2024. He was a beloved brother, husband, father, Boppa, uncle and friend. Jim was preceded in death by his parents, James and Ellen (Brogan) Blaine; sisters and brothers May (Reg) Croft, Eileen (Harold) Lovelace, Jack (Doris) Blaine, Lily (Arthur) Rigdon, Peggy (Pat) Faul, Breege Blaine, Alice (Patrick) Kelleher, Ambrose (Philo) Blaine and Kitty (Sr. Beatrice) Blaine; and his sisters-in-law, Mary (Keith) Ross and Peggy (Michael) Leeney.

Jim was born in Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland and raised on a dairy farm, which is still in the family today. He “emigrated” to England in his teens and, in 1957, was sponsored by his sister Eileen and husband Harold to come to the United States where he became a proud citizen. Jim worked at St. Mary’s Mercy Hospital in Gary, Indiana before moving to the big city -- New York. While he enjoyed living in NYC, Jim eventually moved back to Gary where by then three of his sisters were living. He returned to St. Mary’s and worked in Plant Operations, where he became a master of all the mechanical processes that keep a hospital running smoothly. Jim worked at St Mary’s in Gary and Hobart for nearly 40 years until his retirement.

Jim and Connie met at work while traversing a tunnel that ran between the nurses’ home and St. Mary’s, where she was a student nurse. They celebrated 60 years of marriage in 2023. For half their married life, Jim and Connie lived in Lakes of the Four Seasons (Indiana) where Jim was a charter member of the LOFS fire department and served for 25 years, reaching the rank of assistant chief.

After he retired in 1999, Jim and Connie moved to Woodstock, Illinois to be near Blaine and Tom and their children, Meggie and Casey, watching them grow and flourish into their college years. In 2019, they made the move to Houston, Texas to be near Tim and Nicole and twins, Declan and Emme, where he enjoyed several happy years. Being a wonderful grandfather was perhaps Jim’s greatest accomplishment.

Jim is survived by his wife Connie (McCarthy) Blaine; son Tim (Nicole) Blaine and children Declan and Emme; daughter Blaine (Tom) Wells and children Meggie and Casey; sisters Sarah and Rosemary Blaine; sister-in-law Philo Blaine; brothers-in-law Pat (Linda) McCarthy and Keith Ross; and many, many nieces and nephews in Ireland, England and the United States who will miss their Uncle Jimmy.

A visitation and Mass of Christian Burial will be held at a later date.