James Dispensa

James “Jimmy” Dispensa, 56, of West Hempstead, New York, passed away unexpectedly of natural causes on October 31, 2025.

Born in Queens, Jimmy spent his early years in Bayside, living with his family and grandmother before moving to Franklin Square. He graduated from H. Frank Carey High School and went on to earn his degree in mechanical engineering from SUNY Stony Brook.

Jimmy dedicated many years of his career as a project engineer for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, working in the water tunnels that serve millions of New Yorkers. He later joined the Department of Transportation as a lighting engineer, contributing to projects across Staten Island and Brooklyn.

Jimmy had wide-ranging interests that reflected his love of numbers, patterns, and discovery. He enjoyed working on classic cars and collected clocks, thermometers, calculators, and stereo equipment. He explored countless subjects, especially astronomy and weather. One highlight of recent years was witnessing the total solar eclipse. Family could always count on Jimmy for an early, accurate weather forecast.

Though he had no formal musical training, Jimmy composed several symphonies for piano and could tune a piano purely by ear. Jimmy was the keeper of family recipes from grandma’s Christmas “witchies” and her meatballs and tomato sauce. He was a devoted pizza connoisseur who scoured the five boroughs in search of the perfect slice.

To his four nephews, he was the unforgettable “Uncle Jimmy”—patient, curious, and always ready to explain how something worked, building memories and knowledge they will carry throughout their lives.

Jimmy is survived by his sisters Marilyn Dispensa (Susan K.) and Carol Menditto (Joe); his nephews Donato, Matteo, Joseph, and Michael; his aunts Rosalie Lebenick and Jo Melmer; and seventeen cousins. He was predeceased by his parents, Victorand Mary Dispensa. Jimmy was “one-of-a-kind” and will be missed.