James Russell (Jim) Homer passed away Thursday evening March 6, 2025 about 9:00 pm at his home in Windsor, NY which he started building in 1980. Jim was born in the old hospital in Hancock, NY on 7/9/1950. He had a storied career first as an auto, truck and race car mechanic at Shackelton's garage in Hancock, NY. He also was a helicopter mechanic and an airplane mechanic. He started out working on Dr. Scott Bennett's and Charlie Buckley's airplanes in Hancock, NY.

Jim was extremely talented with just about anything that was fixable or he installed in the first place including electrical, plumbing, working with wood of any kind, wall board installations, his beautiful huge fire place and his wooden floor plus cherry wood spiral staircase in his A frame cedar wood home. Jim graduated from Hancock Central High School in 1969, served in Dong Ba Thin, Vietnam just north of Cam Rhan Bay May of 1970-April 11, 1971 where his m.o.s. was as a helicopter engine mechanic for almost a year. After serving in the US Army for almost 3 years, he went to a two year tech school in Williamsport, PA and obtained his A&P (Airframe and Powerplant) license. Originally he wanted to be an airplane mechanic at an airport but he ended up with a much better job and career working for Link Aviation in Kirkwood, NY plus he did contract work after that for about another 15 years. He worked all over the world installing flight simulators which were used to teach airplane pilots how to fly before they got into a real plane.

He worked on 6 of the 7 continents in the world except Antarctica including 13 different countries including Germany 10 times and South Korea 3 times and all over the United States. 20% of all his jobs were overseas. Jim was probably one of the most successful students who ever graduated from HCS after repeating the 8th grade. He turned that failure into a tremendously successful career that he absolutely loved.

Jim is survived by his two brothers, John F. (Jack) Homer of Tampa, Florida and Thomas W. (Tom) Homer and sister-in-law Linda Cederholm of Fairport, NY, plus niece Kathleen Kate Homer and nephew Stephen Homer of Buffalo, NY and nephew Shawn D. Homer and wife Lisa of Tampa, Florida and niece Hilary Homer Garrett and husband D.J. Garrett plus 3 grand nieces, Grace, Hope and Joy Garrett of Florida. Jim was predeceased by his parents Hilton L. Homer and Evelyn Fitzsimmons plus sister-in-law Melanie Graham (Jack) Homer.

Jim's final resting place will be in the Mileses Cemetery in Mileses, Sullivan County NY near his Homer ancesters. He will be the first Homer buried there since his Great Grandfather George H. Homer, Jr. was buried there after he died on 12/24/1913 in Callicoon, NY. Jim cut down all the trees in that cemetery about 8 years ago along with his friend Corky Karkkainen from Long Eddy, NY which was literally in the woods before they did it.

In lieu of a funeral the family is going to have a celebration of Jim's life in Hancock, NY sometime this summer which will be announced in the Hancock Herald newspaper.

Arrangements were made by the Henderson- Biedekapp Funeral Home in Hancock, NY.