Obituary of James E. Schessler

James E. Schessler (“Jim”), of Madison and Spring Lake, New Jersey, passed away on November 8, 2024, at age 79, with his beloved family at his side. The cause was complications from Parkinson’s Disease.

Born on October 5, 1945, to Elmer A. Schessler and Marie Otten Schessler, Jim was raised in Orange, New Jersey along with his older siblings, Peter and Susan.  He graduated from Our Lady of the Valley High School in Orange and Providence College in Providence, Rhode Island, where he played basketball, including on an undefeated team in 1963-1964. 

In the summer of 1967, Jim met Carol Jedlicka while both were out with friends on the Jersey Shore. They married in New York City on December 6, 1969, and then moved to Houston, Texas for Jim’s job in the personnel department of Foster Wheeler, an engineering and construction company.  After a few years in Houston, Jim and Carol moved to Dansville, New York, and then to Madison, New Jersey, where they settled and raised three children.  Jim remained at Foster Wheeler for his career, eventually becoming a Senior Vice President for Human Resources and Administration and a member of the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors.  Jim was admired and respected by all who worked with him and deftly handled the challenges that came with running human resources at a global company. 

Jim was also actively involved in his community, coaching his children’s baseball, softball, and basketball teams, and serving on the Board of Trustees of the Madison Public Library, the Saint Vincent Martyr Parish Council, the Board of Governors and as President of the Madison Golf Club, the Board of Trustees of the Madison Community Pool, and as co-president, along with Carol, of the Saint Vincent Martyr Home and School Association.

Jim was smart, diligent, and practical and had the gift of making anyone he met feel comfortable and welcomed. He treasured his many friendships and remained close with friends from high school, college, and Madison, with whom he enjoyed countless rounds of golf, days down the shore, or lunches out around town.

The greatest joys in Jim’s life came from time spent with family. He was a devoted husband to Carol, loving father to Karen Mastrangeli and her husband Mario of Robbinsville, New Jersey, Christine Schessler Poscablo and her husband Ryan, of Brooklyn, New York, and Steven Schessler and his partner, Joseph Boys, of San Francisco, California, and adored, fun-loving grandpa to Gianna and Nicolo Mastrangeli and Sebastian, Alexander, and Grace Poscablo. He was also a beloved son, son-in-law, nephew, brother, brother-in-law, and uncle who greatly cared for his extended family. 

Jim’s children and grandchildren were his pride and joy. He loved playing sports and games and reading with his grandchildren and spending days on the beach with them. Jim and Carol spent 55 blessed years together creating valued opportunities and treasured traditions for their family. Some of his family’s best memories include 50 years of vacations on Cape Cod, bike rides, trips to Europe and around the United States, and hosting holidays at home. Jim and Carol’s home in Spring Lake became a gathering spot for friends and family, creating many happy memories that will be cherished for years to come, which is exactly what they wanted.  

Jim was selfless and lived to make others happy. He offered acts of kindness, big and small, for his family, friends, and those whom he recognized as having a need simply because that is who he was.  His unwavering support, insightful advice, genuine kindness, and relentless optimism will be missed tremendously by all who knew and loved him. 

Funeral Home:

Burroughs, Kohr & Dangler Funeral Home

Visitation Hours:

Family and friends are invited to his visitation at Burroughs, Kohr & Dangler Funeral Home, 106 Main Street, Madison, New Jersey on Friday, November 15, 2024, from 4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

Funeral:

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, November 16, 2024, at Saint Vincent Martyr Church, 26 Green Village Road, Madison, New Jersey, beginning at 11:00 a.m.

Committal:

An internment will follow at Saint Vincent Martyr Cemetery in Madison. 

In lieu of flowers:  Donations can be made in Jim’s name to the Madison Public Library’s foundation.  Checks can be made payable and sent to:

Madison Public Library, Inc.

c/o Madison Public Library

39 Keep Street

Madison, NJ 07940