Mr. James Alexander Chontos

James Alexander Chontos, 96, originally of Mayfield Village, OH, and relocated to Columbia, SC, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Sunday, April 7th. He is predeceased by his loving wife of 66 years, Anne, with whom he had three daughters: Linda Anne Warner (Robert), Judith Anne Komorowski (Timothy C.), and Karen Anne Chontos. He was the loving grandfather of Matthew Warner (Monica), Christopher Warner (Loren), Amanda Warner Unger (Christian), Joy Warner (Jonathan), Timothy D. Komorowski (Stacie), Jill Komorowski Sverapa (Dan) and Janna Komorowski, and great-grandfather to Ruby, Andrew, Clay, Marina, Bree Anne and Noah. Jim was born September 28, 1927, in McKeesport, PA, the son of Margaret Helen Kovacs and Andrew Thomas Chontos. He was the second born among five children, Andrew ("Sadie"), Dolores, Charles, and Bernadette. Jim attended Mount Carmel College Seminary in Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada. Upon completing his studies in 1946, he chose to return home to a non-ordained life. His return home, however, coincided with the massive strike at the steel mills around Pittsburgh making for a difficult job market. It was his mother's sister, Elizabeth, and her husband, Joseph Haus, who offered for him to come to Cleveland, Ohio, to live with them and to train as a tool and die maker at Uncle Joe's shop. Jimmy, as the family called him, moved in with his Aunt Libby, Uncle Joe, and cousins Monica, Marilyn and Joseph. Jim found his true calling and had a fulfilling lifelong career that combined a love of working with his hands, the use of machinery and his mathematical ability, working out high level calculations needed to do this precision work. Jim was forever grateful to the Haus family for taking him in and providing him a successful and rewarding career, which included many years of working at Cuyahoga Industries and later Skrl Tool and Die as a Master Tool and Die Maker. As well as learning his trade in those early years, James continued some of the hobbies he enjoyed while growing up, one of which was ice skating. When he was unable to find an ice-skating rink in Cleveland, another cousin invited him to go to the roller rink in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Jim easily transitioned to indoor skating, sharing the graceful athletic skills of his father who was an accomplished gymnast. He went roller skating often and would fondly recollect how one day while sitting alone during a couple's dance “a lovely young woman with beautiful blue eyes and a big smile” asked him if he wanted to skate, and he said, “yes” to his future wife, Anne. He and Anne began dating. Then, in 1950, Jim received his draft notice. Before starting basic training, Jim asked Anne if she thought they should get engaged. This time it was Anne's turn to say “yes.” Anne wrote Jim a letter every day while he was in the service, except for a day when she was sick. And, like many GI's, Jim carried her photo with him throughout his time in the service and that same photo was near him when he passed. The couple married on November 15, 1952 and would enjoy over 66 years of marriage before Anne passed away in April of 2019, fifty of which were spent living in the home they built in Mayfield Village, Ohio. Longtime friendships were formed while living on Hickory Hill Drive and these became especially important to Jim and Anne after Anne suffered a devastating stroke at the age of 77 in 2007. Despite his own advancing years and challenges, Jim was Anne's devoted primary caregiver, allowing her to continue living in her home as she wished. The kindness and support from their neighborhood family was ongoing until the couple relocated to Columbia, SC in 2017. Some of those friends have since relocated or passed on, but their love and the friendship will always be remembered. Ron and Jane Russo, Joe and Doris Sawicki, Andy and Maria Di Franco, Howard and Joyce Jacobs and Dr. Joe and Nabila Abdelmalak will remain in the family's heart. During the early years of living in their home, Jim had the opportunity to explore his creative side and to use his skills in carpentry and engineering for home repairs, projects and hobbies. He started a vegetable garden and before long a small garden plot turned into a large one that would include a greenhouse with running water, electricity, and gas which he built with his father-in-law. Jim enjoyed gardening but was just as happy to share his harvest with his neighbors and friends. Summers you would find him walking around the neighborhood delivering baskets of tomatoes, corn and zucchinis. He also cut the lawns for some of his neighbors and when summer turned into winter, you could find him plowing their driveways with his 1968 Cub Cadet garden tractor, which like Jim, was gifted with longevity and is still running. Jim was quick to lend a hand with a home repair or home project. And this was at the core of who he was, someone with a desire and willingness to help if he could, not to be in the spotlight, but because it was the right things to do. Nonetheless, the spotlight did shine on him in 1976 when neighbors nominated him, and he was awarded the Good Neighbor Award to acknowledge all his good deeds. The list of his accomplishments is too lengthy to recite, but we believe that in addition to his garden and greenhouse, his favorite projects were creating a scaffolding system to build a lava rock wall adjacent to the cathedral ceiling in his foyer, building a quadraphonic stereo system, and finishing his basement with a full bathroom. In all his projects, he displayed the same technical skills and precision required in his career as a die maker. His expectations may have been high, but he applied that same high standard to himself and was often his own harshest critic. His guiding principles were to always strive to do your very best, to not give up and if you made a mistake, try to fix it. What will remain the greatest testament to the strength of his character was the devoted care and love that he gave to Anne after her stroke. His guiding moral code and most defining character trait was his desire to help others and to never take advantage of someone's situation. His commitment to doing what he felt was the right thing to do was always rooted in his love and concern for others. Jim’s loving wife, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren remained the light of his life, and he treasured all of the family gatherings, family dinners, photos and videos, and phone calls. Time spent throughout his life with his siblings and their spouses, Sadie and Dorothy, Chuck and Eva, and Bernie and John, Dolly and Jim, his Aunt Ethel and Uncle Paul Noga, and his many nieces, nephews and cousins, were very precious to Jim. Countless additional caring aunts, uncles, friends and neighbors in Ohio, Pennsylvania and South Carolina have also provided support and friendship. In addition, Jim and Anne enjoyed the support of a growing number of family members in South Carolina. Jim was also grateful for his kind and skilled home health caregivers who provided friendship and helped him remain at home. He also greatly appreciated the individualized and compassionate care provided by his physicians, Dr. Eric Marom, Dr. Robert Mazzei, Dr. Scott Sommers, Dr. Dina Hunter, Kyle Gross, NP, Dr. Promila Rao, and the ED and Hospitalist teams at Prisma. The funeral service will begin at noon on Saturday, April 20th at Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel at 7600 Trenholm Road Extension, Columbia. The family will receive guests at the funeral home beginning at 11 o’clock. Those attending this celebration of 96 years of a life well-lived are invited to wear any colors of their choosing to the service. The ceremony will be live streamed and will also remain posted on the Shives website for those who wish to view remotely or at a later time. Jim valued the services he received through seniorresourcesinc.org and donations may be made in his name for those who choose to do so. Alternately, he would have highly supported the planting of a backyard tomato plant in his honor.

Tributes

Mr. James Alexander Chontos

September 28, 1927 - April 7, 2024