HERKIMER James N. Marrone, age 86 of E. German Street, passed away peacefully on Monday, March 17, 2008 in Valley Health Services, Inc. He had the comfort of his loving family at his side. He was born on January 18, 1922 in Wilkes Barre, PA, son of the late George and Antonia Ryman Marrone. In 1936 he with his family moved to Herkimer coming from Norwood, OH. He graduated from Herkimer High Schoolwith the Class of 1940. It was while he was in high school that he learned to play the trumpet and became an accomplished trumpeter. He distinguished himself by earning national awards for his exceptional talent. On June 3, 1944 he was united in marriage with the former Mary Eileen Rasch in Saint Francis deSales Church, Herkimer. A devoted union of forty-five years, she preceded him in death on November 14, 1989. Mr. Marrone was first employed by Remington Rand where he was an apprentice tool maker in the Model Room. Through the years he advanced himself to the position of a manufacturing engineer, retiring from UNIVAC in Utica in 1974. He later went to work as a senior manufacturing engineer with Mohawk Data Sciences. He permanently retired in 1984. Mr. Marrone was a member of Saint Francis deSales Church, Herkimer Jim enjoyed being active, he had worked with many area dance bands. He was a photographer and did the photography for many weddings as well as aerial photography. For thirty years he held his Private Pilots License and had owned and worked on airplanes. Mr. Marrone was certified from Annapolis Sailing School. He prided himself on sailing everything from canoes to catalinas and competed in sailing regattas at the Otsego Sailing Club in Cooperstown, Floridaand the Great Lakes. When Jim turned seventy-five he went on a Hot Air Balloon ride in the Adirondacks and at eighty he received a kayak from his family which he put to good use. An avid outdoorsman, he enjoyed camping and kayaking right up until last summer. As testimony to a fulfilled life some of his last words were I hope they have a good wind up there. A friend to many Jim will never be forgotten. Surviving are four sons, James Timothy Marrone and his wife Elma of Anchorage, Alaska, Robert Marrone of Vermontville, Terence Marrone and his wife Marie of Newville, Thomas Marrone and his wife Debora of Mohawk, a daughter-in-law Rhonda Marrone of Saranac Lake, one sister, Congetta Jetta Bernhardt of Herkimer, a sister-in-law, Marian Marrone of Clearwater, FL, six grandchildren, Daniel Marrone, Nicholas Marrone, Thomas Marrone, Kate Marrone, Rene Trenaman, Nathalie Trenaman, several nieces and nephews including a niece Linda Pohli, and a nephew Thomas L. Marrone and Kali the loving 85 lb chocolate Labrador Retriever. Besides his parents and wife Mary Eileen he was preceded in death by a brother, Thomas D. Marrone, one sister, Sister Pasqualina (Ailene Marrone) and a brother-in-law Henry Bernhardt. Funeral from Fenner Funeral Home Inc., 115 Court Street, Herkimer on Wednesday at 9:30 am. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 am in Saint Francis deSales Church Herkimer. The Reverend Mark Cunningham, Pastor will officiate. Interment will take place in Calvary Cemetery later this spring at a time to be announced. The family will be present in the funeral home to receive relatives and friends on Tuesday (today) from 5:00 until 8:00 pm. Expressions of sympathy may be made with memorial donations to the American Cancer Society, The Herkimer County Humane Society or Saint Francis DeSales Church, Herkimer. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home. The family wishes to express their sincere appreciation to the first floor staff at Valley Health Services Inc. and the staff and doctors at Mary Imogene Bassett Hospitalfor their genuine care and compassion shown to Jim during his illness.