James Francis Tighe

Jim is survived by his wife, Gloria Gonzales-Tighe of Katy. He leaves behind his two daughters, Katherine (Michael) Romig of Cypress and Arlene Perna of Katy, from his marriage to Diane (Beverage) Hines of Rockland, ME. Jim is also survived by Gloria’s children, JR (Jodi) Rodriguez of Katy and Grizelda Bouchard of Katy. Gloria and Jim are blessed beyond measure to share five cherished grandchildren together, Benjamin, Lillian, William, Alex, and Wes, who affectionately remember Jim as “Grampie” and “Jimmy.”

Jim was a graduate of Notre Dame High School in West Haven, CT. In 1968, he graduated from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT and joined the US Army. Jim was deployed and stationed in Korea on the DMZ. Upon being discharged from the US Army, Jim returned to New Haven, CT and was employed by Nationwide Insurance. He fulfilled a lifelong dream of being a police officer and joined the Connecticut State Police Auxiliary. Upon marrying Diane Beverage in 1973, Jim joined the US Treasury Department. They moved to Vermont and eventually made their home in the town of Colchester. In July 1976, their daughter, Katherine (Katie), was born, and in May 1978, they had a second daughter, Arlene. Jim made many lifelong friends while living in Connecticut and Vermont. Jim did not have a shy bone in his body and was a hilarious prankster. He loved to play outrageous jokes on friends (and on his reluctant daughters). Jim loved living on Lake Champlain and could be found boating in the summers and ice fishing in the winters. Jim’s favorite summer past times included swimming and fishing with his daughters and attending some legendary summer parties with friends. Each fall, Jim looked forward to attending the Oktoberfest festivities in Kitchener, Ontario with a group of friends and they all returned home with an endless supply of hilarious stories.

In 1990, Jim and his family were transferred to Houston, TX and set up a home in Katy. Jim met and married Gloria Gonzales in 1997. Jim continued to work for the US Treasury Department for several more years until his retirement. After retiring, Jim worked as a teacher for the Katy Independent School District. An avid storyteller, Jim had an uncanny ability to remember people’s names, dates, and the most minute of details. Jim loved music – he was a talented singer and a self-taught banjo player. He won quite a few karaoke contests and never passed up an opportunity to sing with a band. Jim was passionate about animals and passed on his love for animals to his daughters who continue the tradition of treating their dogs and cats as extended family members. Jim loved all dogs, big and small, and relished the sweet moments shared with Gloria and their dogs. During their marriage, Jim and Gloria shared many great experiences and there was never a dull moment in their household. They loved to travel together and especially enjoyed visiting Alaska and Hawaii. Jim was a hopeless romantic who took time to spoil Gloria as often as possible. Jim has left a great void in our hearts, but we are comforted knowing that he is no longer in pain. We feel his spirit and will never forget him.

Jim will also be fondly remembered by his first cousins, Nancy Popp of Minneapolis, Minnesota and John Ford of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Jim grew up as an only child, but we recently learned that he is also survived by a half-brother, Richard (Dick) Friess of Otto, North Carolina.

A gathering for James will be held Tuesday, March 21, 2023 from 11:00 AM to 12:15 PM at American Heritage Funeral Home, 10710 Veterans Memorial Drive, Houston, TX 77038. A funeral service will occur Tuesday, March 21, 2023 from 12:15 PM to 1:15 PM, 10710 Veterans Memorial Drive, Houston, TX 77038. A committal service will occur Tuesday, March 21, 2023 from 1:15 PM to 1:30 PM at Houston National Cemetery, 10410 Veterans Memorial Dr, Houston, TX 77038. A reception will occur Tuesday, March 21, 2023 from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM, 10710 Veterans Memorial Dr, Houston, Texas 77038.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.AmericanHeritageFuneralHome.com for the Tighe family.