My Dad, James (Jim) Bernard McNelis passed away at Mt Vernon Hospital on January 16th from complications with heart disease. He was 74. He is survived by his four children; Jim, Tim, Virginia and Sean; nine grandchildren; Jimmy, Angela, Nathan, Alyssa, Colin, Shannon, Noah, Joel and Olivia; two great grandchildren Elizabeth Moreau and Sean Porzio.

My Dad served his country in the Army and was proud of his lengthy law enforcement career starting with Lorton prison where he started the inter-penitentiary football league. He then served with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police Department on the Dulles Airport S.W.A.T. team.  He then transferred to the Metropolitan Police Department before retiring with the U.S. Treasury Department.

My Dad was an active volunteer throughout his life. You wouldn’t find him on the sidelines at his kids’ games. You saw him involved as a coach, an umpire or a referee for their sports teams.  He was also an active volunteer with his Church.

An avid sports fan, Dad loved his New York Giants and, to him, the only real Dodgers…the Brooklyn Dodgers. His friends loving called him Monsignor. To his family, he’ll always be Uncle Jim, Pop-Pop and Dad.