James Vincent Romano "Jim", 79, of Mansfield, passed away on May 20, 2014 surrounded by the love of his five children and former wife Carol (Hornbecker) Monaghen. He died unexpectedly after a brief hospital stay. He was born on March 23, 1935 to Vincent and Agnes (Russell) Romano of Waterbury. He is survived by two brothers, Thomas and Gregory, and three sisters, Mary Gryniuk, Shirley Romano, and Catherine Kasidas. Jim leaves his three sons Russell, Stephen, and Christopher, and two daughters Ruth Sangree and Catherine Civitello. Jim had 9 grandchildren; Andrew, Jaime, Robert, Elizabeth, Carl, James, Christopher, Nicholas, and Eleanor. Jim attended St. Mary's Grammar School and Sacred Heart High School in Waterbury, CT. He was a U.S. Army Veteran who was stationed in the Panama Canal Zone in the 1950s. Later, Jim received his Baccalaureate Degree from the University of New Haven and a Master's Degree from The University of New Hampshire. He worked as a substance-abuse counselor. Jim and his family are grateful friends of Bill. Jim loved his family more than anything in the world. He made a difference in many people's lives by helping others. He believed people's actions were more important than their words. Jim was not a pretentious man given to appearances, but he had a warm and generous heart when he saw someone in need. Jim was the kind of man who was happy with a warm fire, a NY Yankees game, and a faithful dog at his side. He also loved to hunt rabbits and fish. A private Mass will take place at Ender's Island on Connecticut's shoreline, a place where Jim loved to visit. For an online memorial guestbook, please visit
www.potterfuneralhome.com
.