James Andrew Tafralian's Obituary
The Life of James Andrew Tafralian
May 5, 1947 - July 6, 2013
It's hard to describe a man who wore so many hats and was so many different things to so many different people. Even his name took on many forms. If you were his very closest friend, you called him "Jimmy". If you were dear friends or acquaintances, you just called him "Jim". In college, he was known as "Taffy", a play on his last name, Tafralian. In the business world (or as he liked to say "the corporate world") he was often called "Mr. T" or just "JT". To his 3 nephews and their families, he was "Uncle James". He was "Dad", "Grampa Jim", "Jimbo", and "Honey" to his loving family. But, no matter what you called him, he was just simply a " wonderful man". His needs were few and he wanted nothing for himself, except the love of his family and friends. He was very giving of himself and loved to do things for others. He almost never went anywhere without his infamous "tool bucket" and would relish the opportunity to show off his mechanical skills. No one ever needed to call a repair man if Jim was around! He was a son, a brother, a father, a grandfather, a loving spouse, a friend, a builder of homes, a corporate executive, a classical music and art lover, a sports fan, a nature lover, and a passionate fan of riding his motorcycle through the country roads of Virginia. But most importantly, he was just a fantastic person.
Born on May 5, 1947 to James and Minnie Tafralian, Jim grew up in Arlington, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. He only had one sister, Janice, now deceased, but was surrounded by tons of cousins from his mother's huge Italian family. His dad was of Armenian descent and had a small family, however. He always loved to talk about his summers on Cape Cod where he would be outnumbered by all the girl cousins and several aunts. This is probably where he learned to become a free spirit - he had to go off exploring all of the Cape to escape from all those women! He loved Cape Cod and did until his last day this earth. He often talked about the clamming, the fishing, the swimming, etc. He truly loved every aspect of the beach life and held this passion until his last breath.
He attended the local parochial school and was even an altar boy (surprise!). He attended Arlington High School, where he played football and was active in various other sports. Upon graduation, he was accepted into Rensselaur Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, New York. He enrolled in the school of engineering where he developed his keen technical abilities. He was a member of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity. It was during these years that he tried most anything and everything. He was fearless and passionate about life. He took up everything from scuba diving to motorcycle riding and everything in between. I guess you could say he was always looking for a challenge and usually was successful on some level of everything he tried.
After college, he married Chris Forner and together they had two beautiful children - a daughter, Nicole and a son, Jared. They all resided in Norwell, Massachusetts. Jim loved his children with all his heart and always wanted the best for them. He tried to guide them as best he could and was known for prefacing his "daddy lectures" with the phrase "It's just my opinion - take from it what works for you". Despite Jim and Chris going their separate ways, he was never very far and was always a strong influence in Nicole's and Jared's life as father, mentor and friend.
During these years, he started his own construction business and built many homes on Cape Cod and Nantucket. He would spend harsh winters on Nantucket Island building or doing remodeling and renovations. One of his favorite accomplishments during this time was building the annex to the famous White Elephant Hotel on Nantucket.
After injuring his back more than once doing construction, he decided it was time to put on a suit and tie and join the corporate world. He began his career with Warner Communications, which became Warner Cable, and is now known as Time Warner Cable, Inc. He was the trouble shooter - sent out to those divisions that were in trouble. Jim would work his magic to fix their problems and make them profitable. He was relocated several times - first moving to Akron, Ohio, then to Newport News in VA and then to Reston, Virginia. While living in Newport News, Jim attended William and Mary College and received his Master of Business Degree.
Tired of having to relocate every few years, Jim decided to take a different path and became a licensed residential appraiser in Northern, VA. It was also at this time that he obtained a Real Estate Broker's license.
It was around this time that Jim met the person who was to become "the love of his life", June Crisan. June was and still is a realtor in Northern VA. I guess you could say they shared common interests, in this regard. What began as merely a friendship with mutual connections, slowly turned into a new and special love for both of them. Over 18 years later, they were still going strong. Jim was June's "rock", as she often would say, and was concerned only for her welfare. She felt very secure with him. He wanted nothing in return, materially, and only asked for her love in return. He was a great giver of himself, of his gifts, and of his time. A friend and local artist once gave him an original art piece of hers and titled it "A Giving Heart". And that's exactly what Jim was, "A Giving Heart".
Jim would once again find himself, however, back in the corporate world. He was recruited to join a privately owned company, Excalibur Cable in Northern, VA. Jim began as their Chief Financial Officer and was instrumental in developing the company to great heights, opening up divisions for cable and satellite installations in 40 of our States. He was also made a partner in the business and would serve as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Upon the company's sale to Viasource, Inc., Jim retired from the cable/telecommunications industry. He tried his hand at consulting before deciding to become a licensed Mortgage Broker. He combined his skills with those of June's to become a team. In January, 2013, Jim retired from the mortgage business and planned a life full of fun and travel with June.
As a couple, they were blessed with Jim's children, Nicole, her spouse, Nickolas, their beautiful daughter/ granddaughter, Eva and son, Jared and with June's children, son, Jeffrey, his wife Jodi, their two handsome sons/grandsons , Nate and Tommy and daughter, Jaime, her husband Chris, and their beautiful children/grandchildren, Keene and Teagan. Jim was excited to hear that another grandchild is on the way, as well, from Jaime and Chris. Jeff and Jodi reside in Belmont, MA and the other children are residents of California. Thank God that they love to travel! Bicoastal families are a challenge to visit. They enjoyed each other's company immensely both at home, on family visits and on many vacations to distant places. Jim loved to travel, as did June, and they had planned a second trip to Italy for September, 2013. Unfortunately, Jim was stuck down by this tragic accident on July 6, 2013.
Jim's good friend and former business partner, Eric Poth, just posted a tribute to Jim and described him to a "T" (no pun intended). I will quote him here - "Tough, but understanding, serious, yet humorous, intelligent and analytical, adventurous. Troubleshooter and troublemaker. Feared by some, loved by most, admired and respected by all. Devoted father, very significant other, teacher, mentor.........friend".
Jim will be deeply missed by all, but especially by his adoring family. His passing has left a hole in our hearts, but we take solace in the knowledge that he is, indeed, in a better place. We pray that he is riding his motorcycle on the clouds in heaven.
His life was far too short , but nonetheless, a great ride. To quote from Mona Simpson's Eulogy for Steve Jobs of Apple, Inc. fame, "We all---in the end---die in medias res. In the middle of a story. Of many stories." Jim's story will continue in the minds and hearts of all who loved him and we will cherish the good times and hopefully, let time ease our pain.
May he rest in peace.
Jim is survived by his beloved wife June Crisan of Leesburg, daughter, Nicole Tafralian and son-in-law Nickolas Grams of Lake Balboa, CA, son, Jared Tafralian of Altadena, CA, stepchildren, Jeff Crisan of Belmont, MA, and Jaime Blandford of San Clemente, CA, and their respective spouses Jodi Walker and Chris Blandford. He is also survived by his cherished grandchildren, Eva, Nate, Tommy, Keene, and Teagan.
Funeral services were held on Thursday, July 11, 2013 at 11 am with Father C. Donald Howard officiating.
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