Obituary of James C. Beal

James C. Beal Jr., 67, of Allendale Ave. in Jamestown, passed away Sunday, May 8, 2016 in WCA Hospital. He was born October 15, 1948, the son of the late James C. and Dorothy Johnson Beal, Sr. Jim earned his Bachelor's Degree at Franklin and Marshall College and his Master of Fine Arts in Opera and Voice at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. During his time in central Pennsylvania, Jim embarked on a lifelong journey in electric music and played rock and roll with a number of bands, most notable of which was Rustoleum, a band that he began with his very close friend, Joel Haimes. As often happens in vibrant musical scenes, a group with a strong vocalist will attract top sidemen and soon, 'Rustoleum' was busy performing throughout the area. Jim then departed for Europe where he attended the American Institute of Opera Studies in Graz, Austria. After touring Europe as a vocalist for four years, he returned to America and landed in New York City where he became Vice President of the medical consulting firm, Defined Healthcare. Jim returned to Jamestown in the early 1990's around the time of his mother's passing. He continued his vocal career becoming Cantor for St. Luke's Episcopal Church as well as a vocalist for the Jamestown Choral Society and other local groups. He was also a voice teacher at the Infinity Visual & Performing Arts Program, as well as at Jamestown Community College. Jim will be remembered for his sociability, his deep lifetime friendships, his remarkable and precise ear for harmony and musical arrangement and, of course, for his silky smooth operatic tenor voice. He is survived by a daughter, Laura Kunde of Denver, CO. A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday in St. Luke's Episcopal Church. The Rev. Luke F. Fodor, will officiate. All donations in Jim's memory may be made to St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 410 N. Main Street, Jamestown, NY, 14701.