James Maurice Traverse

James “Jim” Maurice Traverse, of Dennis, Massachusetts, passed away on January 3, 2026. He was born July 24, 1940 in Wilson, North Carolina to Lena Morris and James Traverse. When he was just two years old, his family moved to Taunton, Massachusetts, where his parents were from originally.

Jim grew up in Taunton alongside his four siblings. He lost his father when he was just twelve years old, and his mother did a tremendous job raising five children on her own. He was drafted into the United States Army in 1963 and proudly served his country for two years overseas and four years domestically as part of the army reserves. Upon returning from active duty, he gained employment as a firefighter for the City of Taunton where he worked for 32 years before retiring. As is the tradition with most firefighters, he held down a second job; he worked doing light construction for a local fencing and garage door installation company. In later years, he broke out on his own, installing and maintaining garage doors in the greater Taunton area.

He was known by many names: Jim, Jimmy, Dad, Beepa, Uncle Jim, Buddy, etc., but regardless of what you called him, he was the same sweet, funny, smart, caring, generous, patient man we all loved. And everyone who met him did love him.

Jim met his loving wife, Marilyn Hodgson, during his early years with the fire department. They were married in 1970 and had three wonderful children, James, John, and Jen. In 2002, Jim and Marilyn moved to Dennis as part of a lifelong dream to live on Cape Cod.

In addition to being a devoted husband and father, Jim loved spending time with his grandchildren. He enjoyed spending time in his basement workshop where he crafted all manner of signs, picture frames, bird houses, and furniture. He was very focused and detail oriented in his work. Jim also loved animals, nature, and the outdoors in general. He loved working outside, especially in the fall, his favorite season. Jim was always willing to help family, friends, and neighbors. Whether it was moving furniture, setting up for a family cookout, or building a deck, he was there, with all the necessary tools, ready to go.

Jim is survived by his wife Marilyn; his son James and his wife Denise, son John and his wife Jennifer, and daughter Jen; his brother William; and his grandchildren Julianne, Alyssa, Tyler, Lena, and Lucas. He was predeceased by his siblings Mary, Margaret, and Joseph.

Jim will be cremated and interred at the Bourne National Cemetery. A burial service and celebration of life reception will take place in the spring. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital (www.stjude.org) in Jim's memory.