James M. Fontana

Jim was the beloved husband of Connie Fontana; loving father of Michael (Erin) Fontana, Elizabeth Fontana, Christina (Shaun) Moore, and David (Arielle) Fontana; grandfather to Hawthorne Moore, Zora Moore, Luca Fontana, Mia Fontana, and Henry Fontana.

Jim was born April 2, 1949 in Manchester, England to Duilio and Elsie (Drinkwater) Fontana. At age 4 he along with his family crossed the Atlantic to start new life in the United States, first landing in Aliquippa, PA, then settling in southeast Michigan.

Jim spent more than 30 years in the auto industry as a draftsman. Always up for an adventure and taking advantage of intermittent layoffs during his tenure, he toured Europe by motorcycle and worked on the Colorado ski slopes. The adventures continued into marriage with Connie (Tamblyn) Fontana with their whirlwind honeymoon to Israel and Egypt. With their four kids they settled in Warren down the street from the GM Tech Center where he spent the remainder of his professional career.

Parenting was, by far, his favorite adventure, enthusiastic about sharing with them his favorite books, music, food, sports, faith, and overall spirit of curiosity. He raced home from work every day greeted by kids ready to jump into his arms from the stairway.

Through his years-long struggle with vascular dementia, he maintained a kind, affectionate, joyous spirit with friends and family. He enjoyed a trip along the California coast with his son David, dips in the local lake, family dinners, birthday and holiday treats, and watching baseball games next to Connie.

A memorial visitation for James will be held Sunday, January 7, 2024 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at D.S. Temrowski and Sons Funeral Home, 30009 Hoover Road, Warren, Michigan 48093, followed by a memorial service at 2:00 PM officiated by Rev. Jeffrey Jezierski of Troy Christian Chapel. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Troy Christian Chapel at https://troychapel.org/online-giving/