Obituary: James W. Vaughan, 93, of Southbury

Information via Munson Lovetere Funeral Home

Born: August 22, 1922

Died: January 26, 2016

Services: There will be a funeral mass on Monday February 1, at 10 A.M. at Sacred Heart Church, 910 Main St. South, Southbury with burial at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Valhalla, NY.
Visitation: Calling hours will be Sunday January 31, from 1-3 P.M. at Munson Lovetere Funeral Home, 235 Main St. North, Southbury.

James W. Vaughan, 93, (aka Jim, Jimmy, Jas, Dad, Pop, Bo, Gorm, Pop-Pop) longtime resident of Heritage Village shuffled off this mortal coil on 26 Jan. He was much beloved and will be greatly missed.

Mr. Vaughan was born on August 22, 1922 to the late William and Jennie (Mortensen) Vaughan. He grew up in The Bronx, New York and graduated from Evander Childs High School in 1938 at the age of 15. During WWII, at the insistence of the U.S. Army, he studied engineering at Carnegie Tech in Pittsburgh, PA where he developed both lifelong friendships and a devotion to Pittsburgh Steelers football.

He served in the 155 Artillery in Europe until 1945 and was scheduled for deployment to the Pacific when VJ Day happily relieved him of any future military engagements.

It was through involvement with the USO that Jim met his wife Grace, a singer of local renown (he always had a weakness for swing music and girl singers.) They were married on November 5, 1949 at Our Lady of Angels Church in Bronx, N.Y.

Mr. Vaughan was a court reporter for the State of New York and ended his career in 1986 when he enthusiastically retired. He and Grace moved from their home in Katonah, NY to embrace a life of leisure in Heritage Village where Jim threw himself into retirement much as he would throw himself into a recliner.

He played competitive bridge, poker, and chess, tended garden, and read books. Jim loved maps and planning trips. He and Grace travelled extensively both in the USA and Europe; visiting all 50 States, Scandinavia, Canada, Mexico, and Iceland (which Grace hated). ‘’Idaho’’, Jim declared, “Is the most beautiful place in the world. And they grow good potatoes.’’

Everyone who knew Jim was struck by four things: his extreme intelligence, his razor sharp wit, his extensive vocabulary, and his glorious head of hair. He was proud of his Danish (Viking) heritage and claimed descendence from Danish kings. Jim was also a well-known Shakespearean scholar and could summon an appropriate quote from the Bard to suit any occasion. “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child’’ was well known to his children.

He is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Grace. He is survived by his 5 children: sons Christopher Vaughan and his wife Diane Vaughan of Houston, TX, and Bill Vaughan and his wife Kathleen Caron-Vaughan of Bristol, CT and daughters Margaret Vaughan, and her husband, Stuart Williams of Houston, TX, Monica McGonigle and her husband Tom McGonigle of Fairfax, VA, and Marcella Vaughan of Houston, TX, niece Joanne Altritt of Yonkers, NY; six grandchildren - Katherine, Stephen, Vincent, Alex, Stephanie, and Kelly; sister Virginia Maine of Farmington, CT; numerous nieces and nephews, and a galaxy of friends and admirers.

“Good night, sweet Prince, and may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.’’