Tuesday, July 26, 2022
Obituary (augmented) of Michael James Hurley NOTE: His mother's side of the family always called him Jim or Jimmy or Jimbo, not Mike.
Michael James "Jim" “Jimbo” Hurley, age 89 of Sharon Hill, passed away January 26, 2022 at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia after a brief illness.
Born August 16, 1932 in Philadelphia, PA, he was the son of the late Edward Price and Bernice Cecelia Hurley nee Finn. Mike graduated from Sharon Hill High School, where he was manager of all the sports teams and then worked for the Sears Roebuck Department Store for 37 years. He enjoyed many visits to the Catskill Mountains in Walton, NY with family to hunt and visit. He loved reading history books, especially anything to do with the Civil War.
He is survived by his beloved daughter Linda Gabriel of Selbyville, DE, son Michael James Hurley Jr of Media, PA, step daughter Dorothy Sperry (JB Corbitt) of Warren, OR, and step son Albert Sperry of Morton, PA.
He is also survived by grandchildren: Kristen Gabriel of Dagsboro, DE, Michael Hurley III of Media, PA, Jeffrey Hurley of Aston, PA, and Brett Sperry of Morton, PA, as well as ex-wife and friend Dorothy Bowden of Millsboro, DE.
He is also survived by his California first cousin Kevin Drummond, who grew up near him in Philadelphia and a suburb, and later down the shore, where Jim would visit with his mother summers; and his Nevada first cousin Brendan Breslin, who visited him as a child in Sharon Hill on trips from Columbia by airplane and by car driven by his deceased Aunt Marie and Cousin Patrick from California for big family reunions. Kevin telephoned him every month or so until recently and Brendan, the youngest of the 6 Finn cousins did call him once last year (a premonition?), although he had only vague childhood memories of Jim, as he was called on his mother’s side of the family. He is also survived by his California first cousins once removed Patrice and Mary.
He is predeceased by his mother and father and likely his half brother and half sister by his father’s first marriage as well as his mother’s 4 sisters and 2 brothers. His Cousins Richard, Brian, Patrick also predeceased him.
A visitation of family and friends was held from 10-11AM on Saturday 2/19 with funeral service immediately following at 11AM at McCausland Garrity Marchesani Funeral Home, 343 S. Chester Pike, Glenolden PA 19036 He was cremated and likely his ashes will be spread at Walton in upstate New York.
RIP Go Raibh Suaimhneas Síoraí Air
Jim was my closest cousin and I visited many times. He was a bit older and taught me to shoot a BB gun and a .22. He also took me to the movies in Darby and in the basement of a protestant church. He had lots of comics and magazines at his house. And lots of good food with ice cream with Hershey's syrup.
He had rheumatic fever as a child and was not really suited for military service. But there was nothing in particular they could find wrong with him at the time his number was due to come up. So I went with him to a draft board appointment in my army uniform while home on leave. He didn't want me to go. Since few were happy with being drafted they flinched when I walked in thinking I was there to give them a bad time for drafting me. But they did listen to me and exempted Jim.
I liked visiting so much that when my mother would not take me one day when I was three years old, I took off on my own. As parents do when kid's threaten to run away from home, she told me to just go. So I did. The first two trolley men turned me down, but the third one let me board thinking I was with the adults who boarded with me. When they debarked he asked me where I was going. I told him and he took me by the hand to the little trolley that went to Darby. That trolleyman took be to the terminal agent who called my aunt and put me on the Sharon Hill bus. To my delight I arrived for my visit with Jim. My aunt kept me overnight and my mom arrived the next day to fetch me home. So I got to visit my cousin Jim.
It's a shame it took six months for me to be notified but someone had a wrong address or the post office screwed up. Oh, well.
