James A. Formichella

James A. Formichella, 92, of Erie Village in East Syracuse, NY and a longtime resident of The Valley in Syracuse, NY, died Wednesday, November 26, 2014 at St. Joseph\'s Hospital in Syracuse. Born in Summit, NJ on June 20, 1922, he was the son of Joseph A. and Teresa Rillo Formichella. He was predeceased by his parents; sister, Katherine Seidel and brother, Mario J. Formichella. Jim was a veteran of WW II where he was a 1st Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps. As a navigator, he flew C47 planes supplying General George Patton as he crossed Germany and on return flights, he brought out prisoners of war. He was honorably discharged and returned to Ithaca College. Jim graduated from Summit High School and Ithaca College where he received his B.S. in Physical Education and M.S. in Physical therapy. He was a communicant of St. James Church since 1953 and a member of their choir for several years. Jim was employed by the Onondaga County Health Department for 25 years as a physical therapist in County Home Care and he also maintained a private practice for over 20 years. He was a member of American Legion Valley Post 1468, AARP, St. James Holy Name Society, DOT Golf League and APTA. He enjoyed golf, travel, Saratoga Race Course, card games with friends and musical theatre. Jim performed in musical stage shows with “The James Players” of St. James Church and “The Unbelievables” for St. Michaels Church in Central Square, NY. Jim is survived by his beloved wife of 67 years, Ruth; eight children, Gail Gorman (Tim); Lisa Rathbun (Mark) Amy Larson (Jerry) and Steven (Linda) all of Syracuse, NY, James J. and Jeffrey (Jane) of Gloucester, MA, Joseph (Suzanne) of Fairhope, AL and John (Kanyapaat) of Bangkok, Thailand; sister, Constance Reed of Fort Lauderdale, FL; 28 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be held Monday, December 1, 2014, 10:30 a.m. at Ballweg & Lunsford Funeral Home, Inc., Syracuse and 11:00 a.m. in St. James Church where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated. Burial will be in Onondaga Valley Cemetery. Calling hours will be held Sunday, November 30, 2014, 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the funeral home, 4612 S. Salina Street. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Michael J. Fox Foundation, Grand Central Station, PO Box 4777, New York, NY 10163 (www.michaeljfox.org) and St. James Church, 4845 S. Salina Street, Syracuse, NY 13205.

James A. Formichella

June 20, 1922 - November 26, 2014