It is with both sadness and joy that we announce the passing of James H. Orcutt of Easton, MA on January 22, 2024, from this world into eternal life— sadness for those of us who love and will miss him dearly; joy for Jim who was welcomed to heaven with a warm embrace by our loving Father and brother Jesus. Imagine the celebration when Jim arrived home!
Jim was born in Weymouth in 1940, the youngest of eight children to Mary L. (Friery) and James H. Orcutt, Sr. Times were tough for the Orcutt’s and Jim grew up poor, five to a bed and eating ketchup sandwiches. Jim described this as one of the great blessings of his life. It forged strong family bonds that lasted a lifetime and gave him empathy, the ability to look someone in the eyes and say what he felt are the five most powerful words in the English language: “I know how you feel.”
Jim was short on formal education but he was an exceptional student of life. He was a voracious reader and a gifted speaker, full of passion and as talented as they come.
Jim dropped out of Weymouth High School at age 17 and forged his mother’s name on paperwork to join the US Navy. He completed a tour of duty in Japan. One of his claims to fame is being the only guy who spent four years in the Navy without ever stepping foot on a ship.
After leaving the Navy, Jim worked for The Enterprise, rose through the ranks, and became a rep for the International Newspaper Guild. He started his career in Brockton and ended up on W. 43rd Street in Manhattan. He negotiated hundreds of labor contracts throughout the country improving the lives of union members and their families; he was considered one of the very best.
Jim loved old sayings because they hold so much truth. He was especially fond of the Portuguese proverb, “God writes straight with crooked lines.” It aptly describes the way God used Jim’s shortcomings and suffering to prepare him for the next chapter of his life which was devoted to making God known, loved, and served.
In 1985, Jim became a friend of Bill W. and this led him to live Cursillo at the Holy Cross Retreat House in Easton. The effect of both programs is best described as a “metanoia,” an ancient Greek word meaning “having a change of mind and heart.” They gave him new eyes, a new beginning, and a new life, always looking forward in hope, never backward in regret.
In 1988, Jim and his wife Terry founded My Brother's Keeper, a nonprofit which delivers furniture, food, and Christmas gifts free of charge to those in need. They began the work simply and humbly in the basement of their home in Taunton with no financial resources. Today, the charity has two distribution facilities, 12 delivery vehicles, 20 staff, 5,000 volunteers, and has made more than 225,000 deliveries serving nearly a million people in Christ’s name— truly a miracle!
The mission of My Brother’s Keeper “To bring the Love and Hope of Jesus Christ to those we serve” was also Jim’s personal mission. He believed in a God who is an unconditionally loving parent, always ready to help His children without judgement. Jim’s greatest desire in life was to introduce others to the God he loved so much. He and Terry came full circle and for more than twenty years, they were integral parts of a four-person administrative team that ran the Holy Cross Retreat House and hosted hundreds of Cursillo, Matt Talbot, and Pre-Cana retreats.
Jim’s personal relationship with Jesus gave him an extraordinary capacity to gravitate towards people that others would often turn away from. Jim saw everyone as a fellow child of God and in recent years, he ministered to Brockton’s homeless through a work he started called On the Street Ministry.
Jim is survived by his wife of 53 years, Terry Orcutt— his rock and greatest blessing—as well as his children and their spouses Maureen and Kim Staley, Jim and Jane Orcutt, Joe and Mary Orcutt, and his grandchildren Al, Eben, Nathan, Erin Orcutt, Nick and Erica Staley, and his great grandson Lucas Churchill along with several nieces and nephews.
He is also survived by his sister Patricia Peters of Abington, MA. He was preceded in death by his parents Mary and James Orcutt, Sr., and his siblings Frances Orcutt, Grover "Smokey" Orcutt, Elsie Johnson, Maureen McKenna, Clifford Orcutt, and Charlotte Vernaglia.
Jim loved his family deeply and especially cherished his role as a parent and grandparent, which he affectionately called “the memory-making business.” He will always be fondly remembered by his family for his care and concern, his love and loyalty, and his sense of humor. Jim was a master storyteller. He had a joke for every occasion and he brought so much fun and laughter to family gatherings and everywhere he went.
Visiting hours will be held on Wednesday, January 31 from 3-7 PM at Holy Cross Church, 225 Purchase St, South Easton, MA. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Holy Cross Church on Thursday, February 1 at 10:30 AM. All are welcome. Burial will follow in South Easton Cemetery. Livestream of Jim’s funeral Mass will also be available at www.HolyCrossEaston.org/Masses click here
In lieu of flowers, donations in honor of Jim’s life can be made to My Brother’s Keeper, PO Box 338, Easton, MA 02356 or www.MyBrothersKeeper.org for online donations click here
“Every waking breath is an opportunity to make the love of God known.” —Jim Orcutt