James, “Jim”, Walling passed away unexpectedly on November 6, 2017. Jim was a loving and devoted husband, a wonderful father and an unabashed proud grandfather, son, brother, uncle and friend to many. After growing up in Mount Holly, NJ and other places across the US, Jim attended Elizabethtown College, where he majored in Business Administration. After graduating, Jim went to work for IBM in Philadelphia, where he met his wife and best friend of 37 years, Marigail. The couple married in the chapel at Villanova University and soon welcomed their first daughter Megan into the world. Jim then completed his MBA from Columbia University and shortly thereafter they were blessed by having their son Ryan and the family relocated to Cary, North Carolina. Jim continued his career with IBM and then Toshiba, retiring in 2014.
Jim’s rule in life was to always put others first. He had a great zest for life, whether enjoying his passions for running, photography, keeping up with the Stock Market or watching his children participate in school activities. If you were ever around Jim, you always walked away feeling better about life because of his infectious personality. He was an incredibly active parent who was always there for his children and was by far their biggest supporter. Jim was also famous for his poor attempts at humor, trying to tell a joke that left those listening wondering where was the punch line! His proudest accomplishment, however, was his 37 year marriage to Marigail. They were best friends and you could always tell how proud he was of Marigail when he talked about her. His eyes would widen and he would flash a huge grin when he spoke about what they were doing together.
Jim also gave back to his community. He was an avid supporter and volunteer with Saint Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Cary, and worked as the Saint Michael School Assistant Athletic Director. Over the years, he was actively involved in Wake County Public Schools and attended numerous Apex and Green Hope High School cross country events to support Megan and Ryan. Jim continued his avid support of Megan and Ryan through their careers and collegiate running at ECU, UNC, and Ole Miss.
Jim is survived by his wife Marigail, daughter Megan O’Donnell and son-in-law Ryan O’Donnell, son Ryan Walling, granddaughter Riley O’Donnell, mother Diane Walling, sister Kim Filicicchia (Frank), brother Dave Walling (Paty). He will be fondly remembered by his brother-in-law and sister-in-law Paul and Judy Peters, sister-in-law and brother-in-law Laurie and Steve Eubanks, and sister-in-law and brother-in-law Alison and Joel Cook. Jim was also loved by many nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by his father Don Walling.
A mass honoring Jim’s life will be held at St. Michael Catholic Church in Cary on November 11, 2017 at 1:00 PM; receiving friends and family at 12:30 PM. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the American Heart Association or the American Cancer Society.
Arrangements under the direction of Apex Funeral Home, Apex, North Carolina.
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