James J Lyons

James Lyons, 76, passed away on January 25, 2025, at Baystate Medical Center surrounded by his loving family after a brief illness. Born in Holyoke he was the son of the late William and Nora Lyons and resided in West Springfield all of his life. Jimmy was a graduate of Cathedral High School and St Joseph’s College in Windham, Me. He was appointed a Probation Officer in Hampden County Superior Court on March 17, 1972, working in Springfield until his appointment as the Chief of Probation for the Westfield District court in 2002. He retired in 2016. Concurrently, he worked for and was co-owner of Lyons Package Store for more than 43 years working alongside his father, uncle, brother, nephew and son. Upon retirement, most mornings he could be found at the Senior Center. He became the go to guy when someone needed to be driven or picked up from different activities and appointments. Jimmy’s early years centered around playing sports, learning to throw a curveball to dominate his opponents in baseball games and playing hockey at the Rez for hours on end. His favorite channel was ESPN. He thoroughly enjoyed coaching his children in baseball and softball. He was also a member of the Lions club actively working at the Lions Den at the Big E. Jimmy was a lifelong communicant of St. Thomas Church. He leaves behind his loving wife of 50 years Kathleen Lyons, his beloved children Michael and Melissa, both of West Spfld, his sister Maureen Lyons of West Spfld and brother Atty. Martin Lyons of West Dennis. He was predeceased by his brother, Atty. William Lyons Jr. Calling hours for Jimmy will be Friday from 3-7PM at the Toomey-O’Brien Funeral home 1043 Westfield St. West Springfield. His Funeral Mass will be Saturday at 10AM from St Thomas Church with burial to follow in the St. Thomas Cemetery. Donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or Parkinson’s Foundation.