James F. Sinyai

Jim was born September 24, 1946 in Bridgeport, CT, the 5th of 6 children. At the age of 18, he answered fate’s call, literally, when his future wife, Laurie, called a local pay phone on a dare. After weeks of calling she finally agreed to go out on a date with him, sight unseen. Four years later they married on October 26, 1968 at Our Lady of Grace in Stratford, Connecticut. Jim said Laurie added “color,” to his life, “and sound, lots of sound.” Leaving behind a job as a maintenance mechanic in the Valve Corporation of America factory he embraced the life of a “peddler” selling delicious Charles Chips by the gargantuan tin. When he returned after dark from his rounds on a bitter winter day with frostbitten feet, Laurie knew she had married a keeper.

Jim and Laurie remained in Connecticut for the first years of their marriage and their oldest two children, Clayton and Yvonne, were born there in 1969 and 1971. Jim and Laurie took the kids cross-country in a pickup truck for sunnier days in California, where Jim owned a car wash with his father in law, Frank. Despite living their Hollywood dreams washing Erik Estrada’s car and seeing the MASH set, they decided to move back East to Pennsylvania.

Jim enjoyed his “sabbatical” in Dallastown, Pennsylvania, where when he wasn’t flipping houses he religiously joined his son Clayton watching Adam West’s stirring portrayal of the Caped Crusader on weekday afternoons. However, missing the sun, they made their move to Tampa Florida, where their youngest child, Clare, was born in 1980. Jim made the move to the laundry business where he would spend his next decades becoming the drycleaner to the stars, specializing in theater costumes and movie wardrobes. He went back to his peddling ways when they sold the business in 1998. Jim and Laurie made their final move in 2004, when they moved to Mandeville, Louisiana to be closer to their grandchildren.

Jim and Laurie spent over 61 years together, celebrating the anniversary of their first date, and first argument, on March 26 every year. They were married almost 57 years and their constant love for each other taught their children what a marriage should be. They traveled the world together, from their honeymoon in England in 1968, a family trip to Italy staying in convents, to their final international trip to Canada celebrating their Golden Anniversary. They drove cross-country together in 1998 and still enjoyed each other’s company even after the trip.

Jim loved writing poetry, from the rhymes he would leave around the house for Laurie to those he shared with his many fans when he discovered email. He loved music, he was always singing a tune or whistling a song. He instilled his love of creative writing in at least one of his children.

Jim was a strong Catholic, who lived his life of faith by example. He was an active member of his home church Incarnation Catholic Church in Tampa for decades. He led committees, auditioned for plays,and wowed the crowd with his rendition of Stop in the Name of Love, with his brother in law Greg and friend Lionel, at the 1992 church carnival. He joined Our Lady of the Lake in Mandeville, Louisiana in 2004 and was active in their Bible study and delivered Communion to the homebound until he himself had to stay home.

Jim was an amazing Dad, “raising three kids who had three college degrees” (on average). He took them camping, taught them to “keep the fun meter at max,” and how to live a life of faith and love. Jim was an active Grandparent and involved Great Grandparent. He taught his grandkids chess, and of course blackjack. He showed no mercy in bingo, and was not the type to let someone win because they were a kid. Jim sang to them, told them jokes, and showed up to every performance or game he could. He was constantly amused by his great grandsons and loved to play tricks on them or throw a water balloon in their direction.

Jim is survived by his beloved wife, Laurie, his son Clayton and daughter-in-law Alison, his daughters Yvonne and Clare, and his sons-in-law, Dan and Matt, seven grandchildren, Bryant, Hailey, Grant, Cameron, Addie, Harry and Colin, and three great grandsons, Jax, Charlie and Sawyer. Jim is also survived by his brother Al Sinyai, and sisters Margaret Fallon and Kate White, along with many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Al and Margaret and sisters Sue and Frances.

Visitation for Jim will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, July 7, 2025 at Grace Funeral Home (450 Holy Trinity Drive, Covington, LA). A Mass of Christian Burial will be Celebrated at 12:30 pm on Monday, July 7, 2025 at the Grace Funeral Home with Entombment to follow at St Lazarus of Bethany Cemetery.