James Coleman

James Â“JimÂ” Coleman, age 62, passed away on Saturday, September 21, 2013, at his home in Stamford, New York. A beloved father of three, he was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, a son of Annie C. Schlegel Coleman of Gratz, Pennsylvania and the late Robert R. Coleman. He is survived by one son, Charles E. Coleman of Rocklin, California; two daughters, Christine C. Miles of Los Angeles, California, and Sarah M. Coleman of Stamford, New York; two grandchildren; and one brother, Thomas W. Coleman of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Jim's family lived in the Gratz, Pennsylvania area until 1966, when they relocated to Stamford, New York. Jim was a 1968 graduate of Stamford Central High School and attended Mohawk Valley Community College. As teen in the 1960s, he reveled in the spirit of free expression and protest. In later years he disdained Microsoft and promoted Linux as a bastion of freedom with his computer business, the Long Count Cab Company. A lifelong gun enthusiast, Jim enjoyed daily target practice in the basement with a BB gun, shot skeet weekly, and was an avid member of the Stamford Rod and Gun Club and the Oneonta Sportsmen's Club. He was also an avid motorcyclist, and for many years his full dress Harley-Davidson motorcycle was his most prized possession. Music was always a big part of JimÂ’s life. He loved both rock and classical music, rarely missing a Friends of Music concert at Stamford's Â“old Rexmere HotelÂ” (now the Frank W. Cyr Center). He played the saxophone during his school days, and later the guitar and keyboard. The band he played with in his high school days is remembered fondly by many. Jim also enjoyed reading widely varied philosophical perspectives. He was a frequent writer of letters and loved passing around inspirational cartoon jokes. He devoured current events online but avoided TV news with its political slants, connecting many behind the scenes dots that mainstream press analysis often missed. He worked for the New York Power Authority for many years, working his way up from warehouse clerk to Senior Operator through self-directed studies and his usual calculated tenacity. The rotating shifts he worked for years influenced his life even in retirement, leading to his Â“night owlÂ” tendencies and his infamous creed that Â“Nothing important happens before noon.Â” Memorial services were held at 11a.m. on Saturday, May 31, 2014 at Simeon United Lutheran Church, Gratz, with Rev. Martine Joseph officiating. Burial was made in Union Cemetery, Gratz. Buffington-Reed Funeral Home Valley View, Pennsylvania, was in charge of the arrangements. Condolences and remembrances can be left for the family at www.buffingtonreed.com