PS 321 mourns Jim Ferretti, staff computer specialist, AV-guy and essential person at PS 321. He died on Valentine’s Day of heart failure. He leaves behind his wife, Leslie Ferretti, a retired PS 321 teacher and ceramicist, and his son, Michael.

“Jim’s impact on our community is enormous and full of love and goodness,” says Marge Raphelson, the Parent Coordinator at PS 321.

He will be remembered by thousands of teachers, administrators, kids and parents, who appreciated his generosity of spirit, and can-do attitude during the many years he was associated with the school.

Jim started working at PS 321 in the fall of 1993 as a parent volunteer. When the school received a large donation of computers from A.I. Corp, they needed someone who understood how to assemble them. “Jim came and gently took over…I turned the basement workshop over to him—lock, stock and barrel,” recalls Mary Sue Lindley, who runs PS 321’s Computer Lab.

Born August 23rd 1949, Jim was a regular guy who loved children almost as much as he loved fixing and building things. When he was younger “he always had grease under his nails and car motors in the middle of his room,” remembers Francesca Pope, a friend and PS 321 parent, in a note posted on a school bulletin board.

In recent years he built a pottery studio for his wife and was always happy to lend a  hand when friends and family needed help with their computers.

Jim was also the person responsible for the annual slide shown shown at the fifth grade graduation, probably the most touching feature of the graduation ceremony.

He was also a musician remembered for his artistry on the 12-string guitar.  As recently as Saturday afternoon, he played a show celebrating the 40th anniversary of the school with Frank McGarry, Bill Fullbrecht, and other teachers.

As parents learned about Jim’s death, they gathered in the Parents Office to share their memories. He was a good, good man,” Raphelson said. "He was so modest with a quiet kindness. He’d never say no and he could fix just about anything.”