James Paul Sweet

Wellsville, NY - James Paul Sweet, 65, died Thursday, March 10, 2016, at the Jones Memorial Hospital following a prolonged illness.

Jim was the oldest of three boys to Marcella (Colburn) and Paul Sweet. Jim was preceded in death by his father, Paul Sweet.

Born and raised in Wellsville, Jim attended Wellsville High School where he played tennis for the Lions. He went on to play for Ithaca College and eventually coached his older son Brian on the Wellsville varsity tennis team in the 1990s.

It was at Ithaca College where Jim met his future wife, Beverly. They married in 1974. In 1978, Jim and Bev made the life-altering decision to join the Peace Corps and move to Nepal where they lived for more than five years.

Without a doubt, Jim’s greatest joy in life was watching his two boys grow up. From Little Dribblers, to Little League, to both of his sons playing three sports throughout their high school days, Jim never missed a game. More recently, while visiting his sons in Las Vegas he was happy sitting next to them for hours at a time while playing video poker.

He also enjoyed participating in, watching, and coaching many sports. Jim spent many summers at the family cottage at Rushford Lake, fishing, boating, and water skiing. He was a loyal Buffalo Bills fan. (He always was proud that he was in attendance for the epic comeback when the Frank Reich led Bills came back against the Oilers in the 1993 NFL Playoffs.) Each year Jim and his closest friends took a fishing trip – where they shared more stories than fish. Jim loved being in the outdoors and spending time hunting, even on days when he came home empty-handed. His time spent at camp with his family and friends was something he always cherished.

Jim unselfishly gave of his time to instill his love of baseball to the youth of Wellsville by coaching Little League for many years. Following in his father’s footsteps, he was a member of the Wellsville Lions Club – even serving as an endman in the Minstrel show.

Right out of college Jim began working as Production Control Manager at Friendship Foundry, but his passion was always writing. As owner of the Southern Tier Off Road Center, Jim began writing his “STORC Droppings” column. Eventually this led to him working for the Wellsville Daily Reporter where he covered high school sports for the surrounding communities. Each day as he left for work, he would tell Bev that he was, “off to make someone a hero.” 

Jim is survived by his loving wife of 41 years, Beverly; his two sons, Brian and Kevin, both of Las Vegas, Nevada; his mother, Marcella of Wellsville; and two brothers, Bill (Janet) of Wellsville, and Doug of Fort McKinney, Texas.

A celebration of Jim’s life will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to the Wellsville Little League or a charity of the donor’s choosing.

To leave online condolences, please visit www.embserfuneralhome.com.