James Urso's Obituary
James Urso passed away at the age of 83 on July 9, 2020. He is preceded in death by his wife Loretta Almeida Urso. James leaves behind three children Jamie Urso and wife Connie, Darah Urso and Brian Urso and his wife Catherine; six grandchildren, Alexis Vitkovic and her husband Dalibor, Bianca Urso, Marcel Hill, Andrew Urso, Malaya Urso and Annmarie Urso; and two great grandchildren Viviana Inez Vitkovic and Maksim James Vitkovic. As well as many nieces and nephews they all loved Uncle James.
James grew up in West Tampa where his parents owned a grocery store. He attended West Tampa Elementary, West Tampa Junior High and Jefferson High School where he met the love of his life Loretta.
Gifted with a fabulous voice, James could have been a 50’s teen idol. He sang at many Jefferson school functions and is best known for his rendition of Old Man River. He played football in junior high and high school excelling at guard and tackle. He served in the United States Navy and was assigned to the USS Eugene A. Green in Norfolk, Virginia. The ship was a destroyer and he had the opportunity to see the world. Upon his return from the Navy he was employed by Tampa Wholesale Liquor as a driver and eventually sales. He later worked for Cacciatore Bros. Market in Tampa where he was everyone’s favorite butcher. He rediscovered singing later in life and employed his talents singing at parties and retirement centers.
He will always be remembered for his beautiful singing voice and his sense of humor. James was the life of the party. He will always be missed by his family.
Donations in his memory may be made to the American Diabetes Association. On-line donations: www.diabetes.org
Mailing Address: 2301 Maitland Center Drive
Unit 126
Maitland, FL 32751ints,
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