Obituary of James Stevenson

James Stevenson, 90, of Palm City, FL, died February 25, 2013 at his residence.

He was born in Bronx, NY, the youngest of five children to Robert Louis Stevenson and Mary Cecelia Garvey Stevenson. He had been a resident Palm City for over 23 years coming from Delray Beach, FL and prior to that Rockville, Rhode Island. He graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School and received his undergraduate degree from Iona College, New Rochelle, NY. While attending Iona College had been an NBC page and guide.

During World War II he served the US Navy, first attending Hobart College, Geneva, NY in a military/student basic training program, V12 and then graduating from the Columbia University US Naval Midshipmen's School. In 1944 he was commissioned an ensign and continued special amphibious training in Coronado, California. He served aboard the USS Haskell APA 117, an amphibious transport, which engaged in seven invasion operations in the Philippine Islands and the invasion of Okinawa on Easter Sunday April 1, 1945. He was discharged with the rank for Lieutenant (jg).

Before retiring he had been a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and served in Denver, CO, Louisville, KY, San Francisco, CA and New York City for 24 years. Prior to that, he had also been a regional sales manager for Decca Records and was Midwest General Manager with Young People's Record Co. in Chicago and had worked for Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. After retiring from the FBI, he helped restructure the Rockville, Rhode Island Police Department and was the chairman of the Police Commission.

He was a member of Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, Palm City and the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI Inc.

Survivors include his wife of 35 years, June Stevenson of Palm City; a daughter, Colleen Wragg and her husband Lee of, Pensacola, FL; two grandsons Richard Wragg and Robert Wragg and three great grandchildren, Brandon Wragg, Austin Wragg and Shelby Wragg, all of Pensacola and many beloved nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by brothers, David Stevenson, Robert Stevenson and John Stevenson and a sister Winifred Burdick.

SERVICES: Visitation will be from 2:00 to 4:00 PM on March 1, 2013 at the Forest Hills Funeral Homes Palm City Chapel. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 AM on March 2, 2012. Interment will be in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Hawthorne, NY.

For those who wish, contributions may be made to the Treasure Coast Hospice, 1201 SE Indian Street, Stuart, FL 34997, or at 772/403-4530 or on line at www.tchospices.org or the American Cancer Society, 865 SE Monterey Commons Boulevard, Stuart, FL 34996 or on line at www.cancer.org