WESTFIELD – James N. Yvon, 70 , of Westfield died Saturday, February 1, 2014 in Hartford Hospital. Jim was born in Springfield, graduated from Commerce High School and Westfield State College, and was a long-time resident of Westfield.
Jim was an elementary principal in Granville and Bernardston but his love was his fifty years of teaching children in Westfield and Springfield until his retirement in 2013. He attended Blessed Sacrament Church. Jim served on countless committees and boards throughout the city and state. Chief among them was a board member of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, president of the Westfield Education Association, president of Westfield Babe Ruth Baseball and a current member of the “esteemed back row” of the Dan Kane Singers.
But Jim is best known as THE Santa Claus throughout the greater Westfield area. Beginning in late August with the lengthening of his snowy beard and hair to the helicopter arrival on Thanksgiving Friday, Jim loved transforming into Santa each year. Just like Santa, Jim seemed to be everywhere during the season listening to Christmas wishes and spreading Christmas magic. The month of December found him at Amelia Park, the Westfield Santa house, WSU, the Boys and Girls Club, the Westfield parade and tree lighting, caroling on the green, and a variety of banks, clubs, schools and private households. Unseen by most people, but top priority in his eyes, were his annual visits to the group homes and bedsides of chronically ill and housebound children and adults who cherished this private visit all year long.
Jim is survived by his loving wife; Leslie Clark-Yvon; four sons of Westfield, James and his wife Marie, Scott and his wife Amy, Darren and his wife Sherry, and Jonathan and his wife Tina; his sons’ mother; Mary Yvon, three step-sons; Brett Witherell and his wife Colleen of Lynnfield, Brendan Witherell and his wife Amy of West Hartford, CT, Nicholas Witherell and his wife Shannon of Southwick; and his adopted family, now of Lawrence, Kansas, Tomiko and Chisato Kimura. Jim also leaves his brother, John Yvon of Agawam; his four sisters, Charlotte Pahl of Agawam, Laurie Michaud and Cyndee Shay of West Springfield, and Jo-Anne Doleva and her husband Bob of Wyomissing, PA. Jim was so proud of his twelve beautiful grandchildren, Joshua, Benjamin, Kathleen, Megan, Jack, Jake, Emma and Jonathan Yvon, and Cora, Aidan, Sam, and Logan Witherell and was eagerly awaiting the arrival of Logan’s sister in April. Along with dozens of cousins, nieces and nephews, Jim leaves his beloved Fresh Air kids, and his exchange students and their families from around the world; Banch, Kuri, Alex, Moritz, Helene, Kofi, Julia, Birgit, Olli, Mai, Thorben, Hanna, Joonatan, Sahil, Loeiz, and Chiara.
Jim’s funeral will be held on Thursday at 9:00 a.m. from the Firtion-Adams Funeral Service, 76 Broad Street, Westfield followed at 10:00 a.m. by a Liturgy of Christian Burial in Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Church, 127 Holyoke Road, Westfield. Burial will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery. Calling hours will be held at the funeral home on Wednesday from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations to support a student becoming a teacher may be made in Jim’s name to: CSF Westfield (check memo: Jim Yvon) Westfield Citizen Scholarship Foundation, P.O. Box 382, Westfield, MA 01086.
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