James Pattison Darroch, 86, Presbyterian pastor
He was devoted to his flock and to his family, always rooting for his children and his grandkids.
YOU'VE HEARD about jailhouse conversions. Well, here's one with a twist:
In the 1940s, James Darroch was a young sailor who got into trouble when he mouthed off to a superior officer. He ended up in the brig, abashed and humiliated.
What if he was court-martialed? What would this do to his family back in Philly?
James did what jailhouse converts have always done. He called upon a higher power for deliverance. If he got out of that scrape, he would devote his life to serving God.
He did, and he was good with his word.
James Pattison Darroch became a Presbyterian minister, serving several churches before being named pastor of Logan Memorial Presbyterian Church in Audubon, N.J., from which he retired in 1993.
The Rev. James Darroch, a man who gave his church family and his own family so much devotion and love, who never tired of joining his kids in their energetic pursuits, a sports fan and Navy veteran, died Tuesday. He was 86 and lived in Mount Laurel, N.J.
Even in retirement, James wanted to continue his spiritual service and became involved for a time with the First Presbyterian Church of Holmesburg, in Philadelphia.
James was also a fine singer and would occasionally step down from the pulpit to join the choir.
He had a quick wit and a booming laugh, and was a clever wordsmith. He liked to come up with catchy titles for his sermons. It was a trait he apparently handed down to his son, Douglas, a deputy sports editor at the Daily News, noted for his prize-winning headlines.
"Being the first-born, Dad set the bar high for me," Doug said.
"He started my love affair with sports and took me to see my Yankees heroes play several times a year in the 1960s. It wasn't easy being a preacher's kid - or raising one - but Dad steered me in the right direction.
"And when I moved back here with my family from Oklahoma in 1987, he went from being the somewhat strict parent to becoming one of my best friends.
"He and Mom embraced my wife, Tracee, as one of their own and could not have been better grandparents to my daughters."
James was able to atone for his youthful mistake in the Navy decades later when, as a minister, he was a guest of his son-in-law Cmdr. K.C. Coggins, on the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. He got permission to visit the sailors in the brig.
He understood how a young person could make a mistake and was a gifted counselor, always ready to listen and help guide them on a better path.
His daughter Elizabeth, wife of Cmdr. Coggins, said, "As a Navy family, we often lived far away from Dad, but he thrived on the stories of our overseas adventures and even joined us in a whirlwind trip to Prague, Budapest, Vienna and the Alps.
"I enjoyed weekly phone calls, which invariably began with Dad asking, 'How's the family? How are the girls doing?' His oft-repeated comment to me was, 'I never get tired of saying it: I love my family,' to which I replied, 'And we love you.'
"That said it all for me."
Son Greg can attest to his father's devotion to parishioners:
"There were plenty of times when Dad was giving us kids a ride, and he'd stop at a house for a 'short visit.' After a while, we learned not to expect him back anytime soon. He wasn't about to give anyone the rush treatment.
"Dad had a lot on his plate, being a husband, father and grandfather while at the same time being responsible for the spiritual needs of the congregation, which was quite a trick. He managed it all with a grace and sense of humor that I like to think was passed on to us kids."
Daughter Alison Schwarz said, "Dad was my boys' No. 1 fan. Whenever they had games, they looked for him in the stands, knowing he was rooting them on and encouraging them. If he couldn't be at a game, they would call him on our ride home to tell him all about it. The connection was real and the love was deep."
James enjoyed taking the family for a month every summer to Mattituck, N.Y., on Long Island. There was no phone or television to distract them from their fun. They would sail on the Peconic Bay, or play whiffle ball, or he would just lounge in an inner tube working on his tan.
James was born in Philadelphia to James Darroch and the former Mary Pattison, Scottish immigrants. He graduated from Northeast High School and was active in the youth and music programs at Gaston Presbyterian Church, at 11th Street and Lehigh Avenue in North Philadelphia.
After his discharge from the Navy, he attended Maryville College in Tennessee on the GI Bill. He went on to Princeton Theological Seminary, where he earned his master's degree.
He served as pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Axtell, Neb., from 1958 to 1962; First Presbyterian Church in Dayton, N.J., from 1962 to 1969; and then joined Logan Memorial in 1969.
James married Gertrude F. Darroch, whom he met when they were students at Maryville College, in October 1954. He was her devoted caregiver as she endured a 25-year battle with multiple sclerosis. She died in January 2005.
In addition to his two sons and two daughters, he is survived by seven grandchildren and a great-granddaughter, Madelyn D'Amico, born May 19.
Services: Noon tomorrow at Logan Memorial Presbyterian Church, 18 W. Merchant St., Audubon, N.J. Friends may call at 10 a.m. Burial will be private.