James C. Emerson

James “Jim” Emerson died on January 2, 2023. He was born 58 years ago in Bromsgrove, England and emigrated to the U.S. in 1987. He is survived by his loving wife of 35 years Teresa (Terry), sons Daniel and Michael, father Peter, and stepmother Mary, brother of Mary Emerson Reed (the late Jackie), Alice Willcocks (Jonathan). He is brother-in-law of Betty Burke, Vincent Mattera, the late Stephen and John Mattera and uncle to many nieces and nephews. He is pre-deceased by his mother Edna Emerson.
Jim courageously battled glioblastoma for the past twenty-seven months. He never complained and never asked “why me?” The challenges he faced only made his faith in God stronger. He was the sweetest, kindest man who loved his family and always looked for the positive in people and in life.
We are grateful to his medical team at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, especially his neuro-oncologist Dr. Elena Pentsova, who always listened to our concerns and cared deeply for Jim.
Jim graduated from Durham University in Durham, U.K. with a B.S.c degree in Applied Physics and Electronics. He worked as a telecom engineer for several different companies before his illness.
Jim loved working with his hands. Over the years, he did many home improvement projects. He used those talents as a volunteer for many years with Habitat for Humanity of Long Island. He had a brilliant, inquisitive mind and always wanted to figure out how things worked. He was able to fix just about anything. He also had a wry sense of humor which amused many people.
He loved the outdoors, whether it was hiking, sailing, kayaking, windsurfing or skipping stones at the beach. Throughout his youth and college years he was an active rowing/crew member.
We miss him terribly, but we know he is at peace with God.
In lieu of flowers, donations to Habitat for Humanity of Long Island https://habitatliny.org/ or Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center https://www.mskcc.org/ in memory of Jim would be greatly appreciated.