James William Goodfriend Jr

GOODFRIEND, James William Jr. (Jim), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on December 18th, 1939 passed away December 6th, 2024 in St. Augustine, Florida. Jim is survived by his loving wife, Rosemary (Rose); two sons, Jim (Kelly) and Michael (Donna); five grandchildren, Anne, Griffin, Christopher, Brady, Lee and two great-grandchildren; son of the late Florence and James and late brother of Frank (Fran). Jim served in the Air Force National Guard from 1957 – 1963. He started his career as an agent with Prudential Insurance & Securities and worked his way up to become a Vice President while getting his CLU, ChFC and CFP licenses. After 42 years with Prudential, Jim retired early. Jim realized shortly after retiring that he still yearned to work due to his great work ethic and became a financial planner for 15 years. Jim’s greatest loves were Rosemary, his family and his religious beliefs. Jim and Rose grew up together on the same street and started to date when Rosemary was 15 and have been deeply in love since that day. They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary earlier this year. There was nothing that made Jim happier than spending time with his beloved family. Jim’s interests were golf, fishing, sports and music. He was an avid (that doesn’t mean good) golfer and played the piano and accordion. Jim’s love of music started when he joined the band, The Velva-Tones, in the 1950s playing the accordion and played the Mummer’s Parade, weddings and events. The band went on to become very successful and remained friends throughout the years. Jim’s love of piano continued on, and it was enjoyed by his family and friends as they sat by his grand piano and enjoyed him playing. He could always talk sports, stock market and politics. Jim was always either tuned into sports, playing golf or attending that day’s sports event especially if it was involving his children or grandchildren. Jim had a gift…Everyone he met became his friend. He could light up a room with his smile and always made people feel comfortable with a story or made them laugh (mostly he didn’t try to be funny). Jim always left an impression, and it was always a good one. A Memorial Mass will be held on December 17th at 11:00 a.m. at San Juan Del Rio Catholic Church, 1718 FL-13, St. Johns, FL 32259 with a reception immediately following. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Jim’s memory to Community Hospice of NE Florida. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, https://thefoundationcares.org/give/ Those unable to attend can view the service live-streamed at, https://iframe.dacast.com/live/2a7a09ae1c0559a83ef537e05e6a14a6/0d926f14-3fd3-923f-c556-1f0bb777106f

James William Goodfriend Jr

December 18, 1939 - December 6, 2024