Obituary of Rev. James F Jannucci

The Reverend James F. Jannucci, 85, of Cliffside Park died Sunday, December 28, 2014. Rev. Jannucci was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey on September 16, 1929 to Dominick and Julia Jannucci. A lover of music, he played bassoon in the state high school band and then in amateur orchestras after that. He later joined the seminary and was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1960, and for the following three years was the curate at St. Anthony's Church in Hawthorne, NJ. From 1963 to 1971, he served as a missionary in Peru. A noteworthy accomplishment during his service there was the foundation of the mission, Ica - Peru. Rev. Jannucci moved back home to the US in 1971 and became the Dean of Cathedral St. John in Paterson, NJ, serving there for three years and establishing an Hispanic ministry with a strong Peruvian presence. Rev. Jannucci then attended the Seminary of the Southwest in order to join the Episcopal Church. From 1978 - 1979, as a missioner in the City of Newark, he was Chaplain at the Essex County Jail and founded the Hispanic Ministry House of Prayer. From 1979 - 2003, Rev. Jannucci served as the rector of Trinity Church, in Cliffside Park, NJ. This is where James and his wife Ana raised three children: James Philip, Mia Jennifer, and Jonathan Edward. In 1982, he began his service as the Hospice Chaplain at Englewood Hospital and served in this role for 29 years, becoming a member of the Ethics Committee and head of the Chaplaincy Committee. In March, 2004, Reverend Jannucci became the interim rector at Grace Church, Union City and served the parish until August 2006. In addition to his ministry as a rector, Rev. Jannucci also served on multiple Diocesan Boards including Chairman of Property Committee at the Department of Missions (1979 - 1986); Board of the Episcopal Community Services (1986 - 1988); and Trinity Cathedral Chapter (1990 - 2000). In 1991, Rev. Jannucci was the recipient of the Rector of the Year Award and the Bishop's Canterbury Scholar Award. Rev. Jannucci is deeply missed by his beloved wife Ana; son James Philip and his wife Claudia (ne Kramm); daughter Mia Gaines (ne: Jannucci) and her husband Robert Gaines; son Jonathan and his wife Justine (ne Shelley); and his grandchildren Grace, Coco, Kate, James, Olive, and Silas. He is survived by his sister Kathleen Beymer (ne Jannucci) and his brother John Jannucci. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to a Paterson, NJ food pantry by visiting this link: www.foodpantries.org/ci/nj-paterson. Funeral Mass to be celebrated at Grace Episicopal Church, 3901 Park Avenue, Union City, NJ, on Saturday, January 3, 2015 at 11:15 AM. Family and friends will gather at the church. Interment to follow at George Washington Memorial Park, Paramus, NJ. Visiting hours on Friday, from 4-8 PM at McCorry Brothers Funeral Home, 780 Anderson Avenue, Cliffside Park, NJ. For information and directions, please visit www.mccorrybrothers.com.