Birth date: Jul 21, 1945 Death date: May 17, 2025
James Loring Saxton, 79, passed away on May 17, 2025, at his home in New Port Richey, FL. Born to Helen Brown Donigan and Herald Harvey Saxton in Binghampton, NY, Jim attended the University of South Florida. After graduating in Read Obituary
As a tribute to my dad, I want to share some facts, good memories and some of his favorite things.
• As a child growing up in Binghamton, NY he always hated both the cold & snow. When they moved to South Hadley, MA in his teenage years he still hated the cold but loved the beach, eating lobsters and learning to sail.
• In his middle school years, he would ride his bike over to the local car dealerships and watch them unload the cars onto the lot. Salesman who were not busy would show him the latest features. Eventually he could call out Make/Model/ Year of a car just by looking at the grill or taillights of the car.
• He loved convertible cars and large full size station wagons that had wood paneling. It was only when I bought my first truck (which my dad hated at first) that he would begin owning them with his first one being Curt’s old Nissan Hard Body P/U.
• His parents moved to Holiday, Florida when he entered his college years. He first attended Spring Hill College, a Catholic College in Mobile, AL. He did a couple of semesters there before moving to Holiday to be with his parents since the University of South Florida had just opened. He joined a fraternity and met my mom there. They eventually would get married at there at the campus worship center. During this time, he joined the NASA Cooperative Education Program to help pay for his college and would drive around the Southeastern U.S. recruiting Mathematicians, Engineers, Statisticians, and folks from the different sciences to help join the NASA Apollo Space Program. He loved his protect protector too!
• Once he graduated from college his love of the railroads took over and he worked to become a General Yard Master in Wixom, MI at Lincoln Yard. During this time the Vietnam War was going on. My dad’s birthday was the 5th one to be called during the draft lottery. When he received his draft paperwork and where to report unbeknownst to him his boss at the railyard had submitted a deferment for him because my dad was supporting the war effort by treating with high priority ammunition and equipment trains from GA/SC to CA. These train loads superseded all passenger and freight trains. He loved working on the railroad but would eventually leave South Carolina where my sister Jenny was born to come to Florida in 1973. His role as a Yard Master took its toll being on-call 24X7 and he would eventually develop an ulcer from it.
• He used his degree in Personnel Organizational Management and would eventually join HRS now called Department of Children & Families (DCF) and would retire from it. His role consisted of hiring/firing and being the Benefits Administrator. He always talked so highly of the co-workers he worked with. My dad always said to me “Jimmy show up to work every day. If you do that it’s, one less thing they can’t fire you for!”
• My dad loved sailing so much that he bought a 21’ sailboat called the “Saxwind” we think it was powered by all the BS he would say into the sails. He and my mom learned to sail on Lake Tarpon with Don & Carol Richards who helped teach them. Eventually we moved the boat over to Palm Harbor at Don & Carol’s beautiful home on a Gulf canal. It was always a treat for us to stop at 3 Rooker Bar or Anclote Key to have a beach day.
• My dad had a love for condo timeshares. At one point he owned 4 of them. His favorite was Seawatch-On-The-Beach on Fort Myers Beach, FL. He owned weeks 29 & 30, and he did that so no matter what day his birthday fell on he would celebrate it (The family would have to tolerate him) at the beach. As a family it was a treat because we got to stay in a condo w/ A/C and Cable TV, something we as kids did not have at home because my father was too cheap. I remember my dad always buying an inflatable surf rider rafter that had the rope that went around the edge. He would ride in the surf all day claiming to have perfect balance and never falling off. I would call him the Big Kahuna (If I wasn’t calling him Big Guy). Sometimes he would float on the raft from our condo and drift North some 2 miles until he got to FMB pier then walk back. He loved walking the beach with mom and us or his grandkids always w/ a keen eye to p/u the perfect shell. We would also catch crabs in the water. He liked making drip sandcastles with us. If he wasn’t chatting it up at the resort pool w/ fellow owners, he knew and loved over the years he would be neglecting the burgers (hockey pucks) & hot dogs (exploded rockets) at the resort’s propane grills. He would always say when the smoke was all gray and coming out the sides, they were ready. As kids we just accepted his burnt grilling as food. He is still the only person I know that lit a gas grill with the lid down and lived to tell about it. The concussive force of the explosion would have other condo owners looking at us sometimes angry.
• If he wasn’t traveling to Timeshares he would go up and visit his mountain vacation home in NC. He loved so many good friends and neighbors up there.
• My dad was always very detail oriented in explaining a rule, a policy, a story from work, etc. At the time I found it annoying when I was young, as I got older, I appreciated that level of detail.
• He was always very protective of family. We could always count on dad to research something for us, so we never got screwed over. If I was stranded in Chicago and couldn’t get back to Tampa, he told me to book Orlando and would pick me up at that airport at 2AM then take me to Tampa airport to get my car.
• He hated his mother’s (Helen) cooking, saying it was the blandest food ever but always appreciated the family’s cooking whether it was his wife’s, daughters, in-laws or mine. We all know he loved a full belly.
• My dad missed out on life because he hated Mexican food, Asian food, German food, and even some UK dishes. He did love most American food and thoroughly loved Italian food. Before he died the Hungry Howie’s he used to frequent burned down in NPR. Now that he has passed away and is no longer getting his weekly Wacky Wednesday deal like he did for the last 35 years 2nd QTR Market Share of their stock price is expected to be down and fiscal year guidance is uncertain.
• He hated hospitals but had so many near death events we cannot thank the different staff who cared for him at different hospitals for keeping him alive and for so long as a complex case. It does give the family peace he died at home.
• Dad would always tell us don’t put your feet on the footstool, don’t put coffee on the coffee table. He was always concerned about the good wood getting ruined. Now that dad has passed, I make every attempt to do that now in their home on the Ethan Allen furniture.
• Dad loved everything trains including being a hobbyist of toy trains, books & magazines on trains, and belonged to a model railroading club in NC. As a kid I liked going to the train shows with him but as I got older my passion was with aircraft. Me and dad did share the same trait of looking up when a plane would flyover we would say the name of the aircraft. My best memory of dad was when he took me to AirFest in Tampa at MacDill AFB we were walking by a supply area where they kept the underwing fuel pods. He stopped and looked at me and said “Jimmy of all the years I have paid taxes I probably own at least 7 of these!” That made me think for the first time of where my tax dollars go.
• I can remember two times in my life where my dad actually saved my life. The first time I was riding on the back of the sailboat in a sled and when my hands slipped off, he grabbed me. The other time was when I fell off the raft in the surf at those times, I was not a good swimmer. Sorry I couldn’t save you one more time dad.
• The best trip I ever took with my dad was a camping trip to Torreya State Park and Florida Caverns State Park up in the FL panhandle. We toured the caves and slept under the stars.
• Dad, we are forever scared by you following us with the camera and camcorder. At least when we look back on those photos or video it was how you saw us at that time.
• Dad drank milk EVERY day. He kept that promise to his parents.
• Dad went to Mass at church every Sunday and would go to Mass no matter what city he was in for that Sunday. He prayed the rosary every morning. He told me that he prayed for his entire family while saying the rosary.
• Dad was always proud when he was alive that there were 3 Jim Saxton’s
• Dad was a pacifist and never owned a weapon. He always supported peace efforts.
• Dad loved going on the Navy Tiger Cruise with Curt and his dad Clyde. He absolutely loved that experience.
• Dad loved my sisters Jenny & Amy for all their success and the beautiful families they made.
• Dad loved my wife Jessica and the entire Negron family. He also loved both my children James & Jayla.
While my dad was not always the kindest man and did not give enough to family for birthdays, holidays, and special celebrations. I can look past his selfishness, hoarding, and the way he projected himself in conversations with people where he was not nice. I know he was narcissistic (diagnosed) and I feel he may even have a touch of Autism in there. My hope and prayer for dad is that God can look past the faults of my father because underneath he cared for his kids and grandkids deeply. He had a Superman complex in thinking he would live longer than he would. I know we all miss him now and, in our way, and cannot wait until we can rejoin him in heaven. I love you and miss you dad!
Sincerely, your son,
James “Jimmy” L. Saxton Jr.
I went to school with Jimmy, and spent some time with the Saxton family in my younger days. I have fond memories of their house as a safe haven, and the normalcy I always felt when I was with the Saxtons, especially during the struggles of my youth. I remember Jim as more of a listener than a talker; but when he did have something to say, you were usually guaranteed a laugh. Jimmy recently told me about the time he told his Dad that I moved to Scranton, PA from Florida and Jim was shocked to hear that I was living in what he called the armpit of America! I had a good laugh at that one.
I am deeply sorry for your loss and I will continue to keep your whole family in my thoughts and prayers.
Jimmy Dargocey
RIP Jim
Prayers and love to all who knew and loved you.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words… and if that’s true, then you left us with tons of memories weather on VHS, DVD or and SD card.
You never went anywhere without your camera or camcorder. Every birthday, barbecue, holiday, or dinner—we could count on you always, capturing everything. At the time, I’ll admit, I would roll my eyes and hide but I’m grateful for all those images.
The meals: No matter what holiday or event Jim would always say Jessica this was a delicious meal, No…this was a fantastic meal, Hey Nikki isn’t this the best meal you ever had!
And then there were the dogs.
That’s one thing we truly shared in common love for those four-legged companions. You could sit and pet a dog for hours, totally content, totally at peace.
And oh—cars.
I can’t forget how excited you’d get any time I had a “new to me” car. You always wanted to check it out and were excited to see it. I regret not telling you about the latest one. You would’ve loved it.
Thank you for the memories. Rest peacefully. And keep the camera rolling up there.
Jessica Saxton
(P.S. This one’s for you, Jim. What a delicious meal!)
RIP Jim and God bless Nikki and the rest of the family as they transition through this difficult time. My prayers are with you.
There's a couple good memories to share of Jim. And in retrospect, I should have appreciated them more at the time they were made.
1. The rafting trip. At some point in one of the many visits to North Carolina Jim invited me to go whitewater rafting with him. So the next day we jumped into the convertible and headed out. I should have more suntan with me that day. Anyways, we drive a couple hours then find a local outfitter and book a trip down the mountain river. The water was so cold, it removed all feeling from the ankles down in the open water raft. We ended up going down some rapids and getting stuck. After we got free we ended up pulling into shore only to realize that we had gone passed where we were supposed to. I had to hoof it back up to the outfitter, but thankfully I got picked up by a friendly local and taken to the store. That was a good day with Jim.
2. The railroad train layout. One of the holidays, when we lived in Virginia, Jim came to visit us packing a 4x8 plywood board railroad train layout that he had made for my 2 sons. He also had the trains for them. They spent a couple of days driving the train around the track with him. It was a kind gesture by a grandpa for his grandsons.
3. Seawatch. Now his kids I am sure have far more memories of this place than I do or my family. But my sons looked forward to going to this vacation rental that Jim and Nikki had on the beach at Fort Myer. We made some great memories in that place at the beach and by the pool as well as making food on the suspect grill that they had down stairs. 10 people or so in a 2 bedroom 1100 sq. ft. condo was also entertaining at times. Jim made sure that the place was paid for every year so his family could have a nice place to go on vacation.
RIP Jim. Thanks for those and many more pleasant memories.
