James Joseph Bruno Fraccola, age 78, a resident of Darien and Jensen Beach, Fl., passed away on July 16, 2016 after a brief illness.
James Fraccola’s funeral will take place Wednesday, July 27.
Mr. Fraccola was born Dec. 2, 1937 in Stamford. He graduated from Darien High School in 1957, where he was an outstanding athlete. He played halfback on Blue Wave’s first undefeated and untied football team in DHS history.
He was appointed to the Darien Police Department in 1959. He was called away by the U.S. Army to serve his country during the Bay of Pigs crisis.
Returning back to the Police Department, Mr. Fraccola served as a patrolman and later was appointed to the Detective Bureau until he retired in the late 1970s.
Throughout his years on the force, he competed in and won many top honors in tri-state police department shooting tournaments. He was ranked a deadly marksman and was truly a cop’s cop.
After retirement, Mr. Fraccola owned and operated Tokeneke Limousine Company. In later years, he was employed by F. D. Rich Company in Stamford where he met his future wife, Colleen.
Jim always reminisced about all his great memories growing up in the 1940s and 1950s in Darien, hanging out with his buddies and cousins when life was so much simpler.
A lover of sun, sand and surf, he always enjoyed family gatherings spent in Saltaire, Fire Island, and, in later years, the great life and home he made in Florida with his wife and beloved Golden Retriever, Tyler, by his side. Having his children and grandchildren spend vacations at his home in Florida, along with extended family and friends, made his retirement so enjoyable.
Mr. Fraccola is survived by his wife, Colleen Doyle Fraccola and his mother, Mary Bruno Fraccola of Darien. His father, Anthony R. Fraccola, predeceased him.
He is also survived by six children, Anthony (Stephanie) Fraccola of Knightdale, North Carolina, Tracey Hanold of Colo., Christine (Aaron) Smith of Georgetown, Colo., Kingston (Samantha) Fallon of East Greenwich, R.I., Bruce (Christopher) Long of Milton, Mass. and Trina (Thomas) Erhard of Heber, Utah; along with 13 grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, please feel free to honor Jim’s memory with a donation to Golden Retriever Rescue South Florida, c/o LeeAnn Runkle, P.O. Box 17084, Plantation, FL 33318 or directly on the organization’s website.
The family will receive condolences calls at Edward Lawrence Funeral Home, 2119 Boston Post Road, Darien on Tuesday, July 26 from 5 to 8 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. John Roman Catholic Church, 1986 Boston Post Road, Darien on Wednesday, July 27 at 11 a.m. Interment will immediately follow at Spring Grove Cemetery, Darien.