James "Jim" Anthony Cortina

James “Jim” Cortina, 72, of Waterford, passed away peacefully at his home on April 17, 2025, surrounded by his loving family and his faithful canine companion, Taga after a courageous seven-year battle with cancer.

Jim is survived by his devoted wife Gail; his sons, Jay Cortina and his wife Pam, and Troy Cortina; his stepson, Brandon Faison; his beloved granddaughter, Camryn Cortina; and his step- grandson, Jayden Faison. He also leaves behind his sisters, Caroline Cochran, Rita McDonough and her husband Brian, and Gloria Devendittis, as well as many extended family members and friends.

Born in New London on April 14, 1953, Jim was the son of Anthony and Clementina (Silva) Cortina. On September 29, 1991, he married Gail Elaine Peters on at the home of his sister Caroline and her husband Donald in Waterford, surrounded by family and close friends.

A proud graduate of New London High School, Class of 1972, Jim continued his education at Mohegan Community College in Norwich.

Over the years, he dedicated his career to serving both his community and others through various roles; as a Funeral Director Assistant for SCI Funeral Homes (2017 – 2025), a Tribal Council Security Officer for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation (1992 – 2012), a chemical technician at Pfizer (1982 – 1992), and an assembly repairman for Norelco (1972 – 1982).

Jim’s lifelong passion, however, was working with dogs. A certified professional dog trainer since 1975, he achieved his Master Trainer Certification in 1985. He was a founding member of the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc. (C.P.W.D.A.) in 1992 serving as its Treasurer for three decades (1992 – 2022) before stepping down to become the Certificate and Plaque Coordinator in 2023.

Jim was instrumental in drafting Connecticut Statute 53-247e “Intentional Injury or Killing of Police K-9” to protect police K-9s which was passed by the Senate in 1993.

In 1993 Jim helped to coordinate the North American Police Work Dog Association Nationals in New London, Connecticut. He performed decoy work for the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc. in police K-9 demonstrations and trained several local police department canines in Connecticut and coordinated many training workshops for out-of-state police departments in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York, North Dakota, Texas, Georgia and Tennessee and also provided K-9 certificates for to those who attended the training workshops.

He also helped establish the prestigious Daniel Wasson Memorial K-9 Award in 1992 which is awarded to the top five police K9’s in Connecticut. He also served as Training Director for the New London County Work Dog Association (1985 – 1987) and provided training and certification workshops for police departments across the country. During his career, he provided armed K-9 strike crowd control for security agencies in Connecticut and out of state security companies. He also participated in the United States Police K-9 Association Trials in Croton-on-Hudson, New York in 1985 as a decoy.

His expertise, leadership and dedication left a lasting impact on law enforcement K-9 units in Connecticut and beyond. His work and contributions were recognized in several K-9 books, including “Heroes All Without Question” and “K9’s Are Human Too”.

Jim also proudly served as Captain of the Waterford Fire Police, a Board Director for Jordan Cemetery in Waterford and longtime member of the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association.

Throughout the years, Jim and his family enjoyed camping in Amish country and Gettysburg in Pennsylvania, traveling to Florida to the theme parks at Disney, Universal and Sea World, the White Mountains in New Hampshire, or visiting with his sister Rita and his brother-in-law Brian in Northern California. He also enjoyed being the “designated driver” for his father-in-law and mother-in-law Pete and Eleanor, who owned a timeshare on the intercoastal waterway in Myrtle Beach, but his favorite thing to do while there was to try out various seafood restaurants on the Grand Strand. His favorite restaurant was the Ghost Ship and the waiters and waitresses would actually stare in awe as to how many crab legs he could eat at one sitting. If there was a record for it, he would have broken it, hands down.

When it came to sports, Jim’s competitive spirit shone brightest during his four years playing baseball at New London High School. That same drive carried into his later years whether he was playing cribbage with his father-in-law Pete, fishing with his friend Jon or sitting around the table playing board games or cards with his family. For Jim, it was always about winning!

He also loved spending time outdoors at home, especially when he was grilling his “famous” chicken wings. In fact, anything Jim cooked on his charcoal grill was as good--or even better--than a meal at a five-star restaurant. He and Gail also enjoyed traveling across the state to visit plant nurseries in search of unique flowering perennials that would attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Jim could often be found in the garden planting or weeding, and passersby frequently stopped to complement their beautiful garden.

Photography was another of Jim’s passions. His talent behind the lens earned him multiple awards in 1989, 1990 and 1991, and he often used his skills to support the organizations he cared deeply about, including the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association, Inc. While working for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, Jim often attended concerts featuring top performers at Foxwoods or exciting sporting events with family and friends--and he always captured the memories with countless photographs.

Jim’s love for animals began early, growing up on Perry Street in the 1950’s, 1960’s and early 1970’s. Throughout his childhood, he always had a pet by his side, whether it was a cat, duck, guinea pig, rabbit or even a pet skunk that he raised at home. When he purchased his own home in 1976, that tradition continued with a cocker spaniel, several German shepherds and even two orphaned baby racoons he rescued. Over the years, his family of animals grew to include Doberman puppies and a litter of abandoned kittens that Jim and his family lovingly bottle-fed. His devotion to animals was a lifelong constant, reflecting the deep compassion and care he carried on throughout his life.

Jim will always be remembered for his tireless strong work ethic, love of animals, generosity and his willingness to help anyone in need.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, September 13, 2025 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at Fulton-Theroux Funeral Home, 181 Ocean Avenue, New London, CT.

For photos, tributes, and to share memories and expressions of sympathy, please visit http://www.fultontheroxnewlondon.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, the Connecticut Humane Society in Waterford or to any animal charity of your choice, in Jim’s honor.