by Contributor | July 11, 2020 12:40 pm
PANAMA CITY, Florida — James J. Fontana, 58, a resident of Panama City, Florida, passed away unexpectedly on June 23, 2020 in Florida.
Known as “Jungle” to some and “Jimmy Joe” to others, James was born in Oswego, NY, to the late Ralph and Frances (Tyrrell) Fontana. He grew up in Oswego but spent much of his adult life living in Florida.
Jungle enjoyed sports, especially baseball, and spent some time coaching junior league in Oswego. He was an avid card player and enjoyed playing darts. He loved telling jokes, making people laugh, and was always the life of the party. Jungle was a free spirit who danced like no one was watching. He had a heart of gold and will always be remembered for being the caring and loving man that he was.
In addition to his parents, James was predeceased his sister, Donna (Fontana) Sagneri.
He is survived by his sisters, Judy Fontana and Shelly Fontana; his nieces Stephany (Sagneri) Beshures, Kristy Sagneri, Crystal Muscarella, and Kari Muscarella; nephews Mark Sagneri, Louis Demm, and Joseph Muscarella; and several great-nieces and great-nephews.
A memorial gathering to celebrate the life of James “Jungle” Fontana will be held at 3 p.m. July 18 at 5350 State Route 104, Lot 17, Oswego.
Phone home, Jungle. You will be missed more than you could imagine.
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