James J. Downey, of Riverhead, a decorated Naval veteran of the Vietnam war, died at his home on March 9, 2013 after a seven-year battle with cancer. He was 66 years old.
He was born on Oct. 28, 1946 in Brooklyn, to Joseph and Margaret (Wilkins) Downey.
A 56-year resident of Riverhead, he graduated from Riverhead High School in 1965.
Downey enlisted in the U.S. Navy after high school and served four tours of duty in Vietnam, earning the Purple Heart, Navy Commendation Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device (the Combat “V”), the Navy Combat Action Ribbon, the Vietnam Honor Medal 2nd Class, the Vietnam Training Service Medal 2nd Class, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal and the National Defense Service Medal. He was the honor man of his company at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in 1965.
He served aboard the Earl B. Hall Destroyer Escort and aboard the USS Independence. He was “a river rat,” a member of the “Brown Water Navy,” patrolling the Perfume and other rivers of Vietnam on the Navy’s River Patrol Boats. He saw action in the Tet Offensive in the Battle of Hue. He worked with the 3rd Marine Division at I-Corps and served on the staff of Admiral “Bud” Zumwalt in Saigon in 1969 for the Vietnamization program. Downey lived among and learned the language of the South Vietnamese people.
Downey attained the rank of GMG3 Petty Officer and was honorably discharged on June 29, 1971.
After his Navy service, he was employed for more than 25 years as a police officer by the Suffolk County Park Police. He was a member of the Flight 800 recovery team following the 1996 crash of the TWA jetliner.
Downey met his future wife Diane M. Drozd, through her father, a WWII Navy veteran. They were married on Nov. 4, 1972 at St. John the Evangelist Church in Riverhead. They lived in Riverhead, where they raised their family of two sons. They enjoyed traveling as a family to many historical sites and theme parks throughout the eastern seaboard, making sure the kids were having fun and learning, his wife said.
A life-long student of history, his hobbies included participating as a re-enactor of the French and Indian War, the American Revolutionary War and World War II. He formed a living history school program and gave lectures about historical events. He joined the Third N.Y. regiment, a Revolutionary War re-enactment group in 1986 “where our sons learned to love history through living it,” his wife said. An outdoorsman, he formed the re-enactment group “Captain Thomas Terry’s Company, New York Provincial Militia 1756-1762,” which is based on the history of the original group from Southold. His passion for history as well as his humor and zest for life made him well-known and respected throughout the re-enacting community as well as many historical sites, making friends wherever he went.
He was a life member of the Vietnam Veterans of America and of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, the Free and Accepted Masons, the Alamo Society and the National Rifle Association.
Downey was a dedicated family man who enjoyed spending time playing with and reading to his beloved grandchildren as often as possible. He was affectionately known around town as “the cute chubby guy,” his family said.
In addition to his wife of 40 years, Downey is survived by his son Joseph and daughter-in-law Christianna and their children Evan and Rylan, of Pennsylvania, and by his son Glenn and his daughter Rowenna, of Maryland. He is also survived by his brother Dennis and sister-in-law Shirley, of North Carolina. Downey was predeceased by his father in 1987 and by his mother in 2000.
The family will receive visitors on Tuesday, March 12, 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. at McLaughlin Heppner Funeral Home, 336 Marcy Avenue, Riverhead. There will be a service at the Church of the Redeemer Episcopal Church in Mattituck, on Wednesday, March 13 at 9:30 a.m., the Rev. Nils Blatz officiating. Cremation will be at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Center Moriches.
Memorial donations may be made to either Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Colorectal Department, P.O. Box 27106 New York, NY 10087-7106 or to the Vietnam Veterans of America, 8719 Colesville Road, Suite 100, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
