Vincent Defeudis

RUTLAND – Vincent D. “Jim” DeFeudis, 71, of Maple Avenue, died peacefully on Wednesday, December 22, 2021, at UMass Memorial Medical Center – University Campus in Worcester, surrounded by his family.  He is survived by two sons, Sean V. DeFeudis of Rutland, Jason M. DeFeudis and his wife Amy of North Grosvenordale; two sisters, Marie S. Brown and her husband Paul of Millbury, and Janet A. DellaRocco of Webster; three nephews, Chris Richards of Worcester, Robert Grasseschi and his wife Faytene of Canada, and Bryant Richards and his wife Heather of Webster; two great nephews and one great niece, Noah Richards, Aayden Grasseschi, and Keyanna-Joy Grasseschi.  He was born in Worcester, son of the late Vincent M. and Christine M. (Beattie) DeFeudis, was raised in Sutton and lived in Worcester before moving to Rutland 25 years ago.  He graduated from St. John’s High School in 1968 and attended the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.

Jim worked for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts – Corporations Division in Boston and then for A+ Technologies in Marlboro prior to retirement.

Music was Jim’s passion.  He was a singer/songwriter/musician who performed solo and with several bands throughout his life. When he began his first band as a teenager, Jim and his buddies would rehearse in the barn with the door wide open.  Cars lined up and down the road for a “free” concert.  It gave him great joy to share his music.

Over the years, he and his band would offer their services free of charge for various fundraisers.  One that was particularly close to Jim’s heart was the benefit to raise money for a playground for the children of Sutton.

Among his many other talents were woodworking and inventing.  Jim made furniture and toys for family and friends.  He made and assembled solar panels by hand to sell to forward thinking businesses 20 years before solar energy became popular.  Another talent Jim had was creating recipes and cooking.  Jim was a great cook! He enjoyed sharing recipes and meals with family and friends.

Jim, a single father, loved people, especially his sons, Sean and Jason.  They were his first priority. He was a man with class, an ingrained quality, demonstrated by the way he lived his life and related to others. He saw only the good in everyone he met.  He put people at ease with his humor and wit.  His mischievous laugh was infectious.

A sensitive man with a kind heart, Jim loved animals.  He had many pets throughout his life. The latest were  his two cats, Vanessa and Picklesworth. He called them “his girls”.  They made him laugh!  He shared many hilarious stories about their antics.

Jim was a gentleman and also a gentle man with great inner strength.  During the last years of his life he was housebound and dealt with various health issues, including pain and difficulty breathing.  He never complained.  When asked how he was feeling he would say, “Can’t complain.”

When Jim’s PCP heard of Jim’s passing, he texted,”It was a gift for me to have known him.”

A memorial Mass will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 8 at St. Mark’s Church, 356 Boston Road, Sutton.  There will be no reception after the Mass due to the COVID virus.  A celebration of Jim’s life will be announced at a later date.  Paradis-Givner Funeral Home in Oxford is directing the arrangements.

The family would like to extend its gratitude to the ICU staff at UMASS, especially the nurses, for their care and kindness.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the ASPCA or an animal organization of your choice in Jim’s memory.