James F. Irish died on Jan. 10, 2007 at age 79 of Parkinson's related causes. He was born in Syracuse, NY in 1927 to James A. and Ethel Irish. His father was a veteran of WWI and among the first mounted troopers with the New York State Police in the 1920s who later was with the Department of Corrections at the state prison in Napanoch, NY. James F. grew up in upstate New York with four siblings, graduating from Ellenville High School with the class of 1945. He was a standout athlete and won six varsity letters for baseball, basketball and soccer.

Like his father, Mr. Irish led a life of service to country and state. He was a veteran and served with the US Army in Europe during WWII and with the US Marine Corps during the Korean War. He retired a Captain in 1962. After his military service, he lived on Long Island in Stony Brook and Roslyn for 45 years. He worked for the Nassau County Probation Department for 27 years, retiring in 1990. He was a probation officer and later in department management. He authored a number of crime related publications and studies over several decades. He often said, "my business is crime and business is always good." He was a 1951 graduate of Manhattan College and received a M.S. from St. John's University in 1964.

James was active with his school and Marine Corps alumni organizations and was interested in family history, gardening and fishing. He had a life-long passion for Manhattan College basketball.

Mr. Irish's second-wife Eleanor, is retired from the Port Washington School District where she taught for 30 years. James is also survived by a brother Thomas(Newburgh, NY), two sisters Sally Ann(Zellwood, Florida) and Kathleen(Fletcher, NC) and 5 children; James K. (Augusta, SC), Michael(Buffalo, NY), John(Irvington, NY), Elizabeth(Philipsburg, NJ) and William(Alpharetta, Georgia) and nine grandchildren. His first wife, Madeline died in 1974. A Memorial Mass was held at St. Mary's Church in Roslyn on Jan. 11. He will be buried at Long Island National Cemetery in Farmingdale,