Virginia M. James

Virginia James, 84 of 427 West Fourth Street, Mount Carmel passed away on Wednesday, October 25, 2023 at the Mount Carmel Senior Living Community.

Born in Ashland on August 19, 1939, she was a daughter of the late Vincent “Bill” and Mary (Gecosky) Pitcavage.

Virginia graduated from Mount Carmel Area High School where she met her soulmate, John B. James.

She was employed at the former General Cigar Factory.

Virginia was a member of Divine Redeemer Church, Mount Carmel.

On November 22, 1958 at the former Holy Cross Church in Mount Carmel, she married John B. James who preceded her in death on September 10, 2014. They started a family soon after their marriage, including survivors, two sons, Ronald John James with his wife Sandy, and Donald William James; two daughters, Patricia Ann Karycki and her husband John, and Jennifer Marie Karycki and her husband Todd.

 While raising her children, she enjoyed yearly family vacations to the Delaware beaches. She also enjoyed large family and friends gathering at her parents cottage by Ideal Park with her late brother and late sister-in-law, William Pitcavage and his wife, Mary Ann, and nephews Rick, Michael and Billy David and her sister, Rosanne Wesoloskie and her husband John and nephew, David and nieces, Kim and Wendy. As her children grew older, she enjoyed talking on the phone with her friends, Sylvia, Gilly and Mary Ann.

 When her grandchildren arrived, she would sing and teach them nursery rhymes with some being in her ethnic Polish language. She would sit on the floor and play games with them for hours. Nothing brought her greater joy than spending time with her grandchildren, watching them grow up and attending all of their sporting events. They will truly miss their “Mam Mam”. Her grandchildren include, Tiffany Stepp and her husband Doug, Chelsea Avellino and her husband Marcus, Tyler Karycki and his wife Kailee, Kyle Karycki, Alyssa Karycki, Tanner Karycki and Cooper Karycki; great-grandchildren Maci, Madelyn and Taylor James Avellino.

Preceding her in death in addition to her parents and husband were her brother, William J. Pitcavage.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, October 31, 2023 at 11:00 am in Divine Redeemer Church with Reverend Bernard Wamayose, A. J., Pastor as the celebrant. Interment will follow in Holy Cross Cemetery, Mount Carmel Township. Visitation will be held on Tuesday morning from 9:00 am until 10:45 am at the Joseph J. Stutz, Inc. Funeral Home, 40 South Market Street, Joseph J. Stutz III, Supervisor. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy can be made to National Kidney Foundation HQ, 30 East 33rd Street, New York, NY 10016. To offer a condolence to Virginia’s family, please sign the guest book at www.stutzfuneralhome.com.