James P. McStay

James P. McStay, 75, of Bristol and formerly of East Providence passed away on Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at Rhode Island Hospital. He was the husband of Cheryl A. (Burke) McStay to whom he was married 47 years.

Born in Providence, he was a son of the late Hugh and Beatrice (Matthews) McStay. Jim was a Licensed Funeral Director and the owner and operator of the Perry-McStay Funeral Home in East Providence. He also served in the Rhode Island State Legislature as a State Senator representing District 43, East Providence from 1984 to 1996. Jim was very proud of his profession and was dedicated to his career as a funeral director. He was a member of the Rhode Island Funeral Directors Association and the National Funeral Directors Association. He was a member of the East Providence Council 1528, Knights of Columbus and was a diehard New York Yankees fan and a longtime follower of the P.C. Friars. He was an avid sailor and received much enjoyment from sailing his beloved sailboat, “Just Add Water.”

Besides his wife he leaves three children, Michelle M. Doyle of Newtown, CT., Patrick J. McStay and his wife Caitlyn of Norwalk, CT. and Marissa B. Vulakovich and her husband Randy of Pittsburgh, eight grandchildren, Tyler, Riley, Natalie, Emmy, Colin, William, Drew and Nora, two sisters, Mary Anne Plante and Rosalie R. Wotton and two brothers, William B. McStay and Peter F. McStay. He was the brother of the late Richard A. McStay and Patricia H. Tramonti.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, January 23, 2021 at 10:00 AM in St. Martha’s Church, 2595 Pawtucket Avenue, East Providence. Burial will be in Gate of Heaven Cemetery. In lieu of flowers contributions to Meals on Wheels, 70 Bath Street, Providence, RI 02908 would be deeply appreciated.

Guestbook

58 entries.

Patty Scanlan from Salem MA wrote on February 12, 2021 at 8:27 am:

Dear Cheryl, My deepest sympathy to you and your family on the passing of your husband Jim. Louise informed us of the sad news last month mentioning good memories of time she shared sailing with you and Jim. I remember meeting Jim at a Gibbs graduation. In a short conversation he impressed me as such a kind gentleman. You made a great couple! You are in my thoughts and feel fortunate to have met you and Jim through our teaching experience at Gibbs in Boston. Take care, Always, Patty Scanlan, Salem MA

JOSEPH ANDRADE from EAST PROVIDENCE wrote on February 2, 2021 at 1:31 pm:

My deepest condolences to the McStay family on the passing of their loved one. The community is grateful for the many years of service your family has provided.

John O'Leary from Cranston wrote on January 29, 2021 at 11:00 am:

Please accept my condolences on the passing of Jim. I am so sorry for your loss. I had the pleasure of serving with Jim in the State Senate. He was a fine gentleman and a dedicated public official. May God give you consolation during this sad time. RIP Jim.

Sylvia Ann Soares from Providence wrote on January 28, 2021 at 2:22 pm:

Condolences to the McStay family. Thanks, Jim, for your great work in honoring those souls who have passed on. You deserve the same. Best in you journey forward.

Darlene & Jerry Perry from Riverside wrote on January 27, 2021 at 6:19 pm:

Jim McStay was a great to our family in our sorrow time. He will be missed. Deepest condolences and prayers to his wife and family.

Chris Casey from Silver Spring, MD wrote on January 26, 2021 at 5:51 pm:

My condolences on your loss. I lost my father a month ago and I know it is difficult. Your family will be in my thoughts.

Chris Gilfillan from San Antonio wrote on January 25, 2021 at 11:59 am:

A true gentleman, wonderful neighbor, passionate person, loved the blue. Spent many days working the polls and holding signage gatherings over the years. We had so much fun together. When he built his house, he was always there checking and measuring every angle, it was so funny to watch. Absolutely loved his laughter. A very devout man, may he Rest In Peace. Well done Jim. Miss you.

Cathy Gibbons Moniz from Riverside wrote on January 25, 2021 at 10:42 am:

I knew Jimmy from way back at St. Brendans. His sister Pat and I were in the same class and all the McStays were such a great family. He was such a gentleman and positive person. My condolences to his family.

Ana Franco from EAST PROVIDENCE wrote on January 24, 2021 at 8:01 pm:

I knew him,very kind,respectful,helpful.God bless and keep his soul.My condolences to Family and friends.RIP.🙏🥀🥀🥀🌹

Cheryl Martin from Rumford wrote on January 24, 2021 at 2:21 pm:

So sorry to hear of Jim's passing. He was very kind in our family's time of loss. My sincere condolences to his family and his family at Perry-McStay. My prayers are with all of you. May he rest in peace.

Cheryl Martin from Rumford wrote on January 24, 2021 at 2:15 pm:

Filomena Monteiro Dutra from East Providence/Warwick, RI wrote on January 24, 2021 at 10:25 am:

On behalf of the Monteiro/Dutra Families, we all would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the McStay Family. Mr. McStay was always so warm and welcoming whenever a grieving family entered his establishment. May have rest in eternal peace.

Steven Gianlorenzo from East Providence wrote on January 24, 2021 at 10:21 am:

To the McStay Family Jim was always a true gentleman to talk to.May R I P and God Bless.

Armen Garo wrote on January 24, 2021 at 1:02 am:

My deepest condolences to the McStay family. Jimmy was a true gentleman and class act. They don’t come any better. He was a good man. A fine human being. May he Rest In Peace. 🙏

Christine Wotton Wilkes from Huntington Beach wrote on January 23, 2021 at 6:42 pm:

We will greatly miss our adorable Uncle Jimmy. He was very kind and funny to his nieces & nephews. One special memory was him introducing us to Auntie Cheryl. He purposely had us stop for ice cream first. In the midst of dripping ice cream, he said..."we are going to meet our future Aunt." While in the elevator, Uncle Jimmy was telling us while trying not to laugh..."I know you are going to want to give her some bear hugs, but she needs to model and we will catch her in between modeling. She needs to stay clean so keep your ice cream paws to yourself. She can be a real bear about it as he grinned ear to ear and watched us trying to wipe our messy ice cream faces. When the elevator door popped open to Winnie the Pooh...He said, "this is your Auntie Cheryl." We instantly encircled her with bear hugs and eventually fell on the floor with laughter. Auntie Cheryl being a nurse was on her way to visit the children to cheer them up. When we got back on the elevator, Uncle Jimmy said, "Do you think I should call her Honey once she's my wife since likes honey. We tackled him in the elevator with bear hugs and he couldn't stop laughing saying hey kids I don't have a costume to protect me from your ice cream paws. Whenever I eat ice cream, I often think of that funny moment & a beautiful magical couple. Our Love, Our Prayers go out to Auntie Cheryl & Family with all Our Heart.

Christine Legge from Sarasota wrote on January 23, 2021 at 10:05 am:

I'm so sorry to hear this. Jimmy was always a kind gentlemen & a very caring soul. May you rest in peace Jim & may God give your family peace during this difficult time.

Chris Fuller from Lumberton, NC wrote on January 22, 2021 at 11:07 pm:

Cheryl, Please accept my deepest condolences for your loss. Adding you and your family to my prayers Chris Fuller ( NHSN 1970)

Greg and Toni Scott from Seekonk wrote on January 22, 2021 at 4:16 pm:

Dear Cheryl and family, Toni and I send our sincerest condolences to you all on your loss. Jim will remain in our memories as a friend and gentleman who always greeted us with kindness and a keen sense of humor. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.

Chris (Gouveia) Partington from Rumford wrote on January 22, 2021 at 1:00 pm:

I was so sorry to read of Mr. McStay’s passing this morning. May he Rest In Peace in God’s loving arms. He was such a kind, caring, and compassionate man. Whenever we needed his services, he treated us like we were a member of his family, and he has passed on that legacy to those who continue his work. On behalf of my family, I would like to extend our sincere sympathies to his family and also to his Perry McStay family. We will keep you all in our loving thoughts and prayers.

Lorraine Roderick from East Providence wrote on January 22, 2021 at 12:44 pm:

I would like to extend my deepest sympathy to Jim's family and co-workers for your loss. I met Jim when my mother passed away in 2001 and he was compassionate and did an excellent job with the arrangements. I was very impressed with the way in which he handled everything. I haven't seen him in quite some time but I've attended many services at the funeral home and I most often see Paul and everyone there seems to be carrying on the same tradition. Again I want to express my appreciation for everything that he's done for me and my family.

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