James Reid Falsone

James Reid Falsone 69, a native of Tampa, a long-term resident of Temple Terrace a long -time presence in community affairs, died Monday, March 26, 2007 in Cosby, Tennessee. He suffered a recurrence last summer of cancer in remission since the late 1970s. He was one of the five founders who co-signed a loan for the money needed to start the ongoing Temple Terrace Youth Sports Association, was a creator and original sponsor of the annual Temple Terrace Road Race and served on the Hillsborough County School Board's Citizens Advisory Committee. He twice ran close races for a seat on the Hillsborough County School Board and earlier was a candidate for the Tampa City Council. He owned and operated Falsone's Sporting Goods stores in Brandon and Temple Terrace in the 1970s and 1980s. He served a term as president of King High School Boosters Club in the 1970s and assisted in improving the athletic facility. He also was a volunteer coach of both youth football and baseball. A 1955 Graduate of Hillsborough High School, he attended the University of Florida, serving in the U.S. Army as a cryptographer and was a offensive lineman for the first Tampa Buccaneers, a semi professional football team which won the state championship in the early 1960s. Dividing his years between Temple Terrace and a summer home in Cosby from the mid 1990s forward, he worked part of each year at Dollywood, the amusement park named for the country music star Dolly Parton, and came to look on the staff as a beloved family. His sociability, affability and humorous personal style won wide recognition among staff, patrons and visiting entertainers. He filled a variety of jobs in the park and considered it a mission to make as many as possible laugh with a friendly quip or a joke. He left Dollywood only because his illness forced retirement. He is survived by a widow, the former Joan Gorski, his grandson James Harrington and a large extended family of in-laws, nephews, nieces and cousins. He was pre-deceased by a infant son James, his daughter Judi, his brothers William and Frank Falsone Jr., and his parents, Frank and Isabel Falsone of Tampa. Other surviving members of the family include his brother in law, Del Groski and his wife Joyce; his sister in law Judith Reed; a nephew William Falsone and his wife Wendy and their children Trey and Andrew; a nephew Frank Falsone; a nephew Mark Gorski and his wife Sonya and their children Katie and Liza; a nephew Jason Gorski, nephew Ernie Reed and his wife Lisa; nephew Steve Reed and his wife Linda niece Debi Masi, her husband Mark and their children Graham, Jordan and Eyrrn; niece Doty Casey, her husband Roger and their children Reid and Trevor; niece Rekki Falsone; niece Kimber Mead and her husband Jay; niece Kathy Reed and her children Kim and Robby; niece Julie Taylor and her husband Ricky; and his beloved cousins. The loving support of this family and the Dollywood family, joined with that of his life long friends, sustained his courage in weathering the trials of the past year. In Tennessee there will be a funeral Mass Monday, April 2, 2007 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Gatlinburg where he was a member, followed by a memorial service at Dollywood. Burial will be in Tampa at the Garden of memories and ceremonial arrangements will be announced later.

James Reid Falsone

June 19, 1937 - March 26, 2007