James Oscar Flaherty Jr.

James O. Flaherty, Jr. of Fort Myers, Florida, formerly of Sharpsville, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully on November 7, 2015 at 1:15 PM in Hospice House in Fort Myers, Florida after a fearless battle with an extended illness. He was 81.

Mr. Flaherty was born September 9, 1934, in Farrell, Pennsylvania to Eva Fessel Flaherty and James O. Flaherty, Sr. He was raised in Sharon. He attended St. Joe’s Catholic School and Sharon High School. He served in the Army Reserves.

James was a resident of South Pymatuning Township. Later in life, he enjoyed living the retirement life in Fort Myers, Florida.

Mr. Flaherty assisted in finding the South Pymatuning Police Department with William Germano in the sixties, in which he originally would help patrol out of his own vehicle. He served as Chief of Police and numerous other rankings. He worked at Golden Dawn, later known as Peter J. Schimdt Trucking Company. He taught truck driving school.

For several years, he was a security guard at Ponderosa Park, in which he enjoyed seeing a variety of country singers. After retirement, he enjoyed working security at the Thomas Edison Henry Ford Winter Estates and Museum in Fort Myers, Florida.

In his spare time, he enjoyed practicing magic. He belonged to Fort Myers Magician Association and a longtime member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. In his younger years, he performed as a “Magic Cop”, in which he would educate students on stranger danger and perform numerous magic tricks. He was also a lifelong member of the Free and Accepted Masons, Lodge 517. He was a member of the Fraternal Order of Police.

On December 20, 1991, he married his wife, Sandra, whom continues to reside in Fort Myers, Florida.

James was a kind and gentle man and a loving husband, father, and grandfather. He loved his family. He always enjoyed having a family dog. In addition, he was a man of many trades and worked a variety of jobs, usually more than one at a time. He had a very strong work ethic. Police work was his passion.

Surviving are: two daughters, Kathy Ruiz and her husband, Carlos, Mesa, AZ; and Jamie Lynn Flaherty Lane and her husband, Travis, Sharpsville, PA; two sons, James O. Flaherty, III, Sharpsville, PA, and Jon C. Flaherty, Hermitage, PA; a stepdaughter, Krista Isaksen, and a step-son, Howard Hyde, and his wife, Andrea. He leaves 9 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren. He also leaves 3 sisters, Dawn Coryea, Tombstone, AZ; Kelly Coryea, Sharpsville, PA; Erin Harris, Farrell, PA; 2 brothers, Dennis Flaherty, Sharpsville, PA; and James A. Flaherty, St. Mary’s, Georgia and a sister-in-law, Karen Clayton and her husband, Stan, Labelle, Florida. He also leaves behind numerous nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Alyce Lehner, and a grandson, Adam Parsons.