Plan for the Future
~~James R. Schmeltz of Chatham Township died on March 22nd. He was 60. A Memorial Mass will be held at St. Patrick Church, 85 Washington Ave, Chatham on Saturday, March 29th at 9:45am followed by a Celebration of Life at The Meyersville Inn, 632 Meyersville Rd, in Gillette.
Born in Summit on February 26, 1954 to Edward and Loretta (Pittman)Schmeltz, Jim was raised and remained a lifelong resident of Chatham. He served as a police officer for Chatham Borough before leaving to start his own successful building and contracting business. Jim was a trusted, well-respected builder for many Chatham homes. In addition to his passion for golf, which earned him a hole-in-one in October 2013, Jim was a talented guitar player. Jim will be remembered by his willingness to help others and his “no nonsense, tell it like it is” demeanor.
Jim was the loving husband of Maureen (Murray) Schmeltz and the cherished father of the late Edward (EJ) Schmeltz. Along with his many friends, he is also survived by his brother, Edward and his wife Donna of Greenwich CT; brother-in-law and sister-in-law John and Cindy Murray of El Paso, TX, nieces and nephews, Leigh Erin Schmeltz Izzo, Erik Edward Schmeltz, SSG Timothy Murray, Patrick Murray, and Mary Beth Murray Wheeler as well as his great nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, donations to the EJ Schmeltz Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 334 Chatham, NJ 07928 would be appreciated.