James "Jim" Read

May 5, 1948 – December 18, 2025

James Read, 77, of Winooski, passed away peacefully on December 18, 2025, from heart failure in the palliative care unit at UVM Medical Center, surrounded by his three daughters and bonus daughter, Jina.

Jim's May 5th birthday was famously celebrated by family as "Cinco de Grampi." He grew up in Fairfield the oldest of 4 children of Charles and Elizabeth Read. A UVM graduate and lifelong lover of numbers, Jim served as an accountant for UVM and later for the City of Winooski. While in college, a blind date led him to his beloved wife, Elaine Loiselle. They married on October 16th, 1976 and raised their daughters in Winooski.

A man of deep faith, Jim was a fixture at Saint Francis Xavier, St. Stephen's, and finally St. Lawrence. A social butterfly, he was active in the Elks and Knights of Columbus, called Bingo at the senior center, and worked part-time at the local Mobil station to stay connected with his community. He was a scholar who rarely missed a Jeopardy! answer and a steady father who supported his girls through every success and failure.

Though diabetes slowed him in his final year at Pinecrest, his mind and humor remained sharp. He is now reunited with his late wife Elaine. James was predeceased by his parents and sister, Valerie Ives.

Jim is survived by his brother, Frank and his wife Sandy; his sister, Peggy and her husband Bill Pearson; and his three daughters and their families: Jamie, her husband Joshua McNight, and her daughter Kathryn Badger; Julie, her husband Jamie Danaher, and their daughter Jacqueline; and Jill and her children, Madison and James.

Calling hours will be held on Sunday, January 4, from 3-5pm at LaVigne Funeral Home, 132 Main St., Winooski. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, January 5, at 11:00am at St. Lawrence Church in Essex Junction, followed by the burial service at St. Francis Xavier Cemetery in Winooski. A reception will follow, details to be determined.

The family expresses deep gratitude to Bea Hatin, Ricky Hayden, the Pinecrest community, and his dedicated nurses and doctors. Donations in Jim's memory may be made to the VT Knights of Columbus Scholarship Fund.