James R. Duffy

James R. Duffy of Cutchogue, N.Y., born July 22, 1936, passed away unexpectedly Dec. 27, 2019, at the age of 83.He is survived by his best friend and loving wife of 60 years, Mary Ellen (née Powers); his son Terence and his wife, Lil; his son James and his wife, Mary Ellen; his son Sean and his wife, Jessie; his son Michael and his wife, Diane; and his daughter, Mary Ellen, and her partner, Renee. He also leaves behind his 15 amazing grandchildren, Nolan, Liam, Laura Lynn, Alannah, Ashley, Jim, Erin, Coleen, Kieran, Meghan, Aidan, Luke, Grace, Ian and Emmet; and sister Ronnie and her husband, Paul Wolfrom. In addition, he leaves behind his beloved golden retriever, Whitey Ford. He was predeceased by his parents, Terry and Rozzie, his sister Peggy, his sister Kathy and her husband, Paul Joyce. 

He was a prominent trial attorney and senior trial partner of Duffy & Duffy, PLLC, and worked tirelessly representing plaintiffs in medical malpractice cases.

He had an incredible mind and a variety of interests and, among other things, regularly attended the opera and plays with his wife. As a lifelong Yankee fan, he especially enjoyed bringing his grandchildren to baseball games and sharing his love of baseball with them. He was an avid reader and an author of multiple books. He had a great sense of humor and loved putting a smile on the faces of his friends and family. Perhaps his favorite thing to do was to gather with family and friends for meals and the exchanging of stories, laughs and cherished memories.

Wake services will be held at Towers Funeral Home in Oceanside, N.Y., Thursday, Jan. 2, and Friday, Jan. 3, between the hours of 2 and 4 and 7 and 9 p.m. A Mass to celebrate his life will be held Saturday Jan. 4, at 11:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Mattituck, N.Y.

In Memory of James, donations may be made to Doctors Without Borders, doctorswithoutborders.org/support-us/faq-donating.