Obituary of James Renella

Renella, James, “Red”, 86, of Pound Ridge and N. Hutchinson Island. Fl., passed away, quietly, Friday, August 8th, in Fl. after a brief illness.

Jim was born February 1st, 1939, in New York City to Ralph and Lucy Renella.

When they were teenagers Jim met the late Joan (nee Ciccarelli) and they married on May 14th. On December 2nd 1961 their only child, Jimmy was born.

Jim was raised in a family that was in the produce business for generations and always credited his grandmother for teaching him everything she knew. For many years he worked in the industry in one form or another.

In 1983 his son, Jimmy, after graduating from Iona joined him. By the end of the decade they saw an under-utilized market, selling boxed seedless watermelons exclusively. Jimmy was able to secure a “unit” in the NYC Terminal Produce Market, basically the pinnacle of the business. Jim joined him and together they were able to grow the company into what it was for almost 40 years, selling ten “loads” of melons a week-roughly 500,000lbs. At first they had to literally give them away, thought they made a huge mistake.

Jim was pre-deceased by his wife Joni in 2019. He’s survived by his son Jimmy, brother Anthony and his wife Linda, his sister Phyllis Falzone and her husband Tony. Also nephews Anthony and Joe, and their wives and was the great uncle to four.

His family will receive friends on Sunday, August 17 from 3 to 8 pm at Clark Associates Funeral Home, 4 Woods Bridge Rd, Katonah, NY.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be on Monday, Aug 18 at St Patrick’s RC Church, Bedford, NY at 10:00am

Burial will follow at Middle Patent Cemetery, Banksville, NY