James G. McHale

James G. McHale

May 14, 1928 - May 5, 2024

BEAVER CITY, Neb. - James G. McHale was born in Scranton, PA on May 14, 1928 to Willard Jerome McHale and Gertrude Veronica Farrahar. His high school education was at Holy Cross Seminary on Lake Erie, Dunkirk, NY, a boys’ prep school run by the Passionist monks. After high school, James spent one year in the Passionists’ novitiate at St. Michael’s monastery in Union City, NJ.

James earned a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Scranton, majoring in English, with minors in Latin and History. He earned his Master’s Degree in English from Fordham University in New York. He also took doctoral courses in English Literature at Temple University in Philadelphia.

James was married to Mary Carol Colleran on April 2,1956. They had four children: Erin, Casey, James Martin, and Colin. James taught English, Latin, and History in White Plains, NY and Camp Hill, PA. He taught Freshman Writing at Clark County Community College and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He also was a substitute English teacher in Cambridge, Bartley, and McCook, Nebraska. Jim loved literature and writing and wrote several books of original poetry and memoirs.

On Nov. 16, 1985, he married Sondra Lenore Jonson. They had three children: Michael George, Joseph Daniel, and Thomas Charles.

James was preceded in death by: his parents, his brother Thomas and sister Anne, sons Casey and James Martin, grandson Ryan, and first wife Carol.

He is survived by: Sondra Jonson McHale, daughter Erin McHale, sons Colin and wife Kaley, Michael, Joseph and wife Maridel, and Thomas, daughter-in-law Sheri McHale, grandchildren Aja, Leitch, Emma, Julian, Patrick, Jack and Jude, great-granddaughter Jade, sister-in-law Marie McHale and numerous nieces and nephews.

Jim was a life-long Catholic and loved his Catholic faith. He was a member St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Cambridge, Neb. He died peacefully at Beaver City Manor on May 5, 2024, just shy of his 96th birthday and on the sixth Sunday of Easter. During the days before his death, he was blessed to have his family with him and some special time with his youngest grandchild Jude McHale.

Mass of Christian Burial will be Friday, May 10, 2024, 10:30 a.m. at St. John the Baptist Church in Cambridge, Neb. with Father Kenneth Wehrs officiating and preceded by the Rosary at 9:30 a.m. Interment will follow at Fairview Cemetery, Cambridge, Neb. Garey Funeral Home, of Arapahoe, Neb. is in charge of the arrangements. Condolences and personal reflections can be submitted at gareyfuneralhome.com Memorials may be made to St. John the Baptist Church or Butler Memorial Library in Cambridge.