James W. Coleman, Sr.

September 29, 1937 ~ June 15, 2026

James "Jim" Coleman (“Butch”) Sr., 88, passed away peacefully on June 15, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas.

It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of patriarch and now soaring eagle, James “Jim” William Coleman, Sr (“Butch”). On June 15, 2026, he peacefully joined his parents, in-laws and many of his siblings. He is survived by his loving wife Jennie Spignardo Coleman and their family.

James, the youngest of nine, was born on September 29, 1937,to William K. and Estella R. Coleman in Newburgh, NY at St. Lukes Hospital. While he was greatly loved by his parents, James’ mother passed shortly after James was born and he mostly grew-up in what he referred to as a “boys’ home”. He spent the majority of his adolescent years in Newburgh, NY which is where he made a special bond with school friends, Jimmy and Jack Drennen who would later become his fosterbrothers. The kindness of their parents, John and Elizabeth Drennen, having ten children of their own, altered the trajectory of his life and helped shape him into the man we have all grown to love. During his school years in Newburgh, he played manysports including football, baseball and basketball. He was most proud that, as quarterback, he was able to lead his football team to the championship.

James proudly served in the U.S. Navy (1955 to 1958). He was a Gunner’s Mate aboard the USS Francis M. Robinson (DE-220)stationed in Key West, FL. His ship conducted development operations in antisubmarine warfare along the east coast and throughout the Caribbean. In his later years, when asked if he wanted to go on a cruise to Cuba, he humbly bragged “I used to go there all the time”.

James returned to Newburgh where he later married Jennie Spignardo. James was adored by his in-laws, John and Dora Spignardo, and they quickly accepted him into their family. They resided in Newburgh to raise their three children, James Coleman Jr, Theresa Musco and Denise Lease. He remained close with both his biological and foster families. As a family, Saturday nights were always spent at the Drennen’s and Sundays with the Spignardo’s. He was proud of his careers at both Ford (20 years retired) where he worked on the assembly line building the F series pickup trucks and IBM (15 years retired) making computer chips. As a young dad he was very active in his children’s activities. He was in his glory attending theirfootball games, cheerleading, concerts and school trips. He held his family in high regard and loved their Sunday afternoon fishing trips after church. James loved to travel with his family.They collected countless memories and stories over the years. He was a great lover of animals and spoiled his dogs just like they were his kids.

James continued to be active in sports throughout his life. He played softball for City and Town of Newburgh Leagues and later went on to be a coach as well as an umpire. Additionally, for almost 40 years, he played Dartball with the Fellowship League St. Francis Crusaders. He developed lasting friendships from his Dartball years and became known as the “The Quiet One”.While James was known to be a man of few words, he was always happy to talk about sports. He loved watching Notre Dame and Green Bay Packers football games with his family and friends. While football was his favorite sport, he always seemed to know what the highlights were from across the leagues. He was always happy to share some beers while watching the game.

James kept busy in retirement. He often cooked for Jennie while she was still working. He was lucky to have his two daughtersand four of his grandchildren nearby, and he played a pivotal role in the young lives of Andrew, Anthony, Matthew and Brittany. He was always available to help Dora, his mother-in-law and Betty, his sister, taking them wherever they needed to go. James always seemed to be driving someone somewhere, and his family teased that he was their “chauffeur”.

After living all their lives in New York, in 2011, James and Jenniefulfilled their wish of living in Florida by moving to Sunrise to be near their son James, his wife Theresa and their son James III. He loved to be able to spend time at his son’s house watching football, often with a cat on his lap. Their condo was on a pond,and James was able to continue to enjoy fishing and loved watching the ducks. He enjoyed frequent visits from all their grandkids and their partners and made frequent trips to Rhode Island to visit Nicole. While in Florida, he was thrilled to get to know his first great-granddaughter Giada (James III).

During his final years James and Jennie were fortunate to move to Texas to live with their daughter Denise and again be near Anthony, Matthew and Brittany. He enjoyed their Sunday family dinners which continued to grow as he was blessed with sixmore great-grandchildren, Elliott, Addison, Emily, Sophie, Dominic and Michael. He was excited to have house pets again and you could frequently find him watching TV with both Benny (dog) and Milo (cat) snuggling around him. His family rallied to care for him in his final years, but he always used to convey how “lucky” he was to have his wife, Jennie and frequently said “she takes good care of me” and always told the doctors “She’s my angel”.

Although the odds were stacked against him from an early age, his perseverance paved the way for his family to soar. He will be missed by many and will be remembered as a “quiet man with a heart of gold and the patience of a saint”.

James is survived by his beloved wife, Jennie Anita Spignardo Coleman of 65 years; his son James W. Coleman Jr. and his wife Theresa, daughters Theresa Musco and Denise Lease; grandchildren Dr. Nicole (Janie) Coleman, James W (Christina) Coleman III, Andrew Musco, Anthony (Ana) Lease, Matthew(Jacqulyne) Lease, Brittany (Austin) Calvitti; and his brothers John "Jack" (Phyllis) Drennen, James "Jim" (Mary) Drennen, William "Bill” Drennen, Daniel "Dan" (Kathy) Drennen, and Joseph "Joe" (Sylvia) Drennen. He is survived by numerousnieces, nephews, and extended family members who cherished him. In addition, he leaves behind a large circle of friends, including his longtime childhood and softball friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents William K. and Estella R. Coleman and John and Elizabeth Drennen; siblings Robert, William, Elizabeth, Estelle, Dorothy, Helen, Patricia, Rita, Thomas, George, Edward, Robert, and Anne.

A full notice regarding the burial and memorial services will be published in the coming days.

In lieu of flowers the family request donations be made to Boys Town or St. Jude.