James Edwin Hadgkiss, Jr., age 61, of Hackettstown, New Jersey, lost his fight to pancreatic cancer and passed away peacefully on the morning of Sunday, October 25, 2020 at Morristown Medical Center. He was born on November 25, 1958 at the U.S. Army Hospital in Neubrucke, Germany to Joan Horsburgh Hadgkiss and the late James Edwin Hadgkiss, Sr.. James lived most of his life, since the age of five, in Hackettstown.

James worked as a young man in various restaurant management positions (e.g. Bonanza, McDonalds, etc) before becoming employed at Budget Insulation as an insulation worker in Dover, New Jersey, from 1988 to 1991. During this time frame, he also managed one or two local rock bands. James then became owner of Poorboy’s Subs and Pizza Restaurant in Hackettstown. He successfully ran the business for eighteen years. In fact it was so successful, eleven years after closure of that restaurant, former customers still rave about and miss his food, personality and the service he provided. After selling Poorboy’s, James worked for food service at Centenary University in Hackettstown. During his ten years there, James was known as the “Pizza Man.” He had his own unique station where pizzas were made fresh on-site using only James’ recipe.

James had a passion for karaoke with friends. He was happiest when he was home surrounded by family and friends and various family dogs throughout the years. He enjoyed telling stories from his past or tall tales, watching old west movies and had quite the sense of humor. He also enjoyed working on household projects. Two funny nicknames given to him by his immediate family, were “Mr. Duct Tape” or “Mr. Fix-It” as he could fix anything. He was quite the chef and at the holidays he was known for his gourmet food trays. He also had a passion for sports, especially baseball and football, where his favorite teams were the Mets and the Jets. James was an avid collector of coins, baseball card and comics throughout his life.

James is survived by his lifelong companion Debbie Burt Hadgkiss, son, Jeremy Bell, daughters, Sara and Heather Hadgkiss, and grandson Jordan. He is also survived by his mother, Joan Horsburgh Hadgkiss,​ and his sisters, Christina Gleason and husband Matthew and Patricia Murray and husband Dan. Lastly, James had four nieces, Caitlyn, Lauren, Natalie and Tess, along with three nephews, Alex, Christian and Robby that he loved dearly.

James was a loving companion, son, brother, father, grandfather and friend to all. He will be sorely missed.

A Funeral Service will be held Friday, October 30, 2020, from 4 – 8 p.m., at Cochran Funeral Home,  905 High Street, Hackettstown, New Jersey. The Prayer Service will be held at 7:00 p.m. with Dr. Rev. Frank Fowler officiating.

In lieu of flower please make and tribute donation to the National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation.