James Francis French, Sr., a long-term resident of New Canaan, CT passed away on May 10, 2017 at his home with his loving family by his side. James was born on December 4, 1930 in Dungarvan, Ireland to the late James F. and Anne (Donnelly) French. At the age of 21, he went to England where he apprenticed and learned the trade of house painting. In 1959, he immigrated to America, a country he came to love deeply. Jim, as he was called, was only in the United States for three months when he met his wife, Dorothy Wilson, at the home of a good friend. After a short courtship, Jim and Dorothy married on October 22, 1960 and raised their family of 5 children in New Canaan. He ran his own painting contracting business for approximately 30 years and operated a paint and wallpaper store in New Canaan for a decade in the 1970s. A practitioner with a strong work ethic, James took great pride in his craftsmanship and providing outstanding service to a wide range of customers over the years. He developed close friendships with many of them. At the age of 55, he took a leap and went to work for General Electric at its corporate headquarters in Fairfield CT. James approached his new challenge with curiosity and a smile and made a great number of new friends in this role. A prolific story and joke teller, Jim loved meeting people and never knew a stranger. He loved playing golf, and in his younger years enjoyed tennis and fishing. His salt of the earth approach to life and great sense of humor often meant he enjoyed being the life of the party. Organizing groups of friends gave him much pleasure, and led to many “best friends” with whom he stayed in touch for life. Jim is survived by Dorothy, his wife of 56 years, his five children and 7 grandchildren: Elizabeth French and Jesse Chaney (Corvallis, OR), Margaret French (Stratford, CT), Janet and Larry Allgaier (Cincinnati, OH), Jean French-Psenicnik (Corpus Christi, TX), and James French, Jr. (New Canaan). James and Tristan Frownfelter, Devon, Dale and Garrett Reich, Lance Allgaier, and Isabella Chaney. Jim also leaves family in Ireland including his sister Eileen Lenane, his brother John Joe, and their families. The family will receive friends at Hoyt Funeral Home in New Canaan on Thursday, May 18, 2017 from 5-8pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00am Friday, May 19, 2017 at St. Aloysius Church in New Canaan. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to the New Canaan Volunteer Ambulance Corps, The Norwalk Hospital Whittingham Cancer Center, or the Visiting Nurse and Hospice of Fairfield County (designate for Hospice).