James Donald Feeney

James (Jimmy) was born at the Mercy Hospital in Portland, Maine on January 12, 1945, the middle of five children to Martin Joseph and Margaret Ellen (Majors) Feeney, Sr. of Munjoy Hill in Portland, Maine.

Jimmy grew up on Munjoy Hill, and attended local Catholic schools including Cathedral Grammar and Cathedral Junior High School. In 1963, he graduated from Cheverus High School, a local Jesuit preparatory high school.

Jimmy was a communicant of Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception located on Cumberland Avenue in Portland, Maine. The cathedral is an architectural marvel in the Gothic Revival style that opened in 1869 with an organ containing 3,336 pipes. Three asymmetrical steeples and a bell can be heard during services and continue to be prominent visible features in the Portland Harbor and Casco Bay skyline. Jimmy served as an altar boy at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Church under Father O’Leary, who later became a Bishop in the Diocese of Portland, Maine.

Related to his interests in mathematics and engineering sciences, Jimmy entered the two-year Electronics program at Southern Maine Vocational Technical Institute (SMVTI) in South Portland, Maine and graduated in 1965. The school was later renamed Southern Maine Technical College (SMTC) and is currently known as Southern Maine Community College (SMCC).

Upon graduation as an Electronics Technician, Jimmy was hired by the IBM Corporation in Kingston, New York, where he worked as a final assembly test and repair technician on various types of computers and peripheral equipment.

Three months into working at IBM, Uncle Sam called Jimmy to service and drafted him into the United States Army. During the Vietnam War era, Jimmy was a proud veteran of the 5th U.S. Army infantry unit. Following basic training at Fort Dix, New Jersey he was sent to Fort Monmouth, New Jersey for Specialized Radar Repair Training, and later to Fort Benning, Georgia. Military service work assignments included technical project work in classified radar surveillance installations projects at Fort Carson, Colorado.

During military basic training exercises Jimmy suffered a bilateral service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus that impacted his ability to hear conversations. He usually heard enough to carry on logical conversations, unbeknownst to those he interacted with. Later he did receive bilateral hearing aids from the Veterans Administration.

Interestingly, when assigned to Yuma Proving Grounds on a short-term project, Jimmy was asked to take part in a test trial evaluation of the performance and reliability of a new vehicle prototype being developed for use on the moon. During test run driving exercises and maneuvers over various terrain inclusive of sand and dunes, Jimmy was sitting on one side of the Lunar Rover with a second person of equal stature sitting on the other side. The battery-powered four-wheel drive rover was used during the NASA Apollo space program. Mobility vehicle testing at Yuma helped make possible the first 1969 landing of Americans on the moon. The Lunar Rover was an unexpected and enjoyable highlight during Jimmy’s time in military service that made him smile and mention it.

Towards the end of military service Jimmy was required to complete a battery of IQ and other tests. He had the highest score out of those taking the test, and was sought after to enlist in officer’s training and continue his military service, but declined. One day an officer came looking for Jimmy. He wanted to know who had a higher score on the IQ test. Jimmy was elsewhere and learned about this through fellow service men.

Following his honorable discharge from the U.S. Army in 1967, and in a continued learning experience to expand his electronics knowledge, he was accepted at the University of Maine, Orono. After graduating from the University of Maine Electrical Engineering program, he returned to the IBM Corporation in Kingston, New York, this time as an Electrical Engineer.

On October 9,1971, Jimmy and his fiancée Ilona Bertalan were married at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland, Maine and resided in Kingston, New York. Jimmy and Ilona tended to be home bodies who missed living in Maine. Choosing to return to Maine close to family on Munjoy Hill was an easy decision when Jimmy accepted a teaching position in the Electrical and Electronics Departments at his old alma mater SMVTI (Southern Maine Vocational Technical Institute) in South Portland, Maine. When not teaching classes, Jimmy worked in a second occupation in the electrical field. After completing the required number of work hours for the State of Maine, and passing the required State exams, Jimmy became a Licensed Maine Journeyman Electrician, and later a Licensed Maine Master Electrician that became important to maintaining the accreditation of the electrical department program.

During his professional 43-year teaching career at SMVTI, and as department chairman of the electronics and electrical departments, the school went through several name changes, first to SMTC (Southern Maine Technical College), and later to its current name SMCC (Southern Maine Community College).

As Chairman of the Electronics and Electrical Departments for many years during his 43-year teaching career at SMVTI, and in the capacity of a knowledgeable tenured Professor, Jimmy understood the need to keep current with ever-changing engineering technology essential to creation and implementation of new and updated programs and courses. He expanded his knowledge base, learned new skills while taking courses, and attended accredited conferences and seminars at locations throughout the country that were essential to implementing department program changes. Preparing students with essential knowledge to succeed in the workplace required making some constructive course changes in the upcoming areas of solar and wind energy technology, programmable logic controllers, and integrated control and information systems.

Jimmy had a strong work ethic, over the years missing only one or two total days of work during his entire 43-year teaching career at the college. He knew the value of listening skills to better understand what works and does not work when teaching students. His open and friendly attitude made students know he was approachable, which motivated students to ask questions and learn more. He understood that students learn differently and have varying aptitude levels. He displayed a respectful attitude with students and had the patience to learn and understand their different personal and educational needs, and which students required more one-on-one assistance than their peers.

Jimmy and Ilona made Gorham, Maine their home while bringing up their two boys. While they were communicants of St. Anne’s Church in Gorham, for many years they attended Saturday Afternoon Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland with Jimmy’s Mother Margaret Ellen (Majors) Feeney. Upon her death, and after a move to the other side of Gorham, they attended Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Windham, Maine.

Jimmy was a member of the American Legion. Among his leisure activities, Jimmy enjoyed traveling by automobile with his wife and two boys to historical sites and museums throughout the United States. Automobile trips to the Boston Museum of Science during school vacations were fun educational adventures. Attendance at Boston Red Sox games included pre-visits to Ilona’s Great Aunt Helen in East Boston, Massachusetts.

As an avid fan of old movies and radio shows, over time the purchase of a large collection of Laurel and Hardy silent and talking films became a must. Reel-to-reel old-time radio program tapes from the 1920s, '30s and '40s became a listening mainstay when putting together crossword puzzles.

Jimmy was predeceased by his parents Martin J. and Margaret Ellen (Majors) Feeney, Sr. and his youngest brother Daniel Feeney.

Jimmy is survived by his wife of 54 years, Ilona R. (Bertalan) Feeney of Gorham, Maine; two sons, Darren Kyle Feeney and Colin Scott Feeney of Gorham, Maine; older brother Martin J. Feeney and Roberta (Lockard) Feeney, Jr. of Scarborough, Maine; older brother John and Joan (McSweeney) of Scituate, Massachusetts; sister Margaret Mary (Feeney) and Michael LaCombe of Windham, Maine; Mary Frances (Adamson) Feeney of South Portland, Maine; Lauralee (Fowler) Feeney of Yarmouth, Maine; and many nieces and nephews.

Jimmy is deeply missed and will be remembered for his warmth and kindness, willingness to help anyone in need, and devotion to family. We are all better people for having known him.

The family wishes to express their heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the Veterans Administration and Southern Maine Hospice staff for their compassionate care and support.

Following Catholic doctrine, prior to his death Jimmy received the last rights.

There will be no formal visitation, funeral service, and graveside burial service.

Jimmy will be buried in Calvary Cemetery, South Portland, Maine.

Should you wish to honor Jimmy’s memory, please consider giving a donation to Southern Maine Hospice in his name.