James D. Rea

James D. Rea, age 89, of Northville, formerly of Novi, passed away September 1, 2017. He was born July 11, 1928 in Dearborn, Michigan; son of Francesco and Gioconda (nee Monacelli)  Rea.  He graduated from Fordson High School in Dearborn; Class of 1945.  He continued his education at Lawrence Tech where he received an Associate Degree in Mechanical Engineering.  He proudly served his country in the Army of the United States as a Private First Class during the Korean War.  James was united in marriage to Mary Margaret McIntyre on August 1, 1962; they spent 55 loving years devoted to one another as husband and wife.  After graduating high school James joined the Plumbers Union Local 98 of Detroit and worked as a journeyman until 1959.  In that same year he purchased his first bar, The Jade, it was located at 6 Mile and Woodward in Detroit.  He owned two other bars in Detroit, Mt. Chalet Lounge and Mt. Chalet Lounge II, before purchasing the Winner Circle in Northville in 1978.  In 1984, The Starting Gate was built from the ground up and established as a mainstay in downtown Northville.  He owned the business with his wife Mary Margaret who ran the bar restaurant while he did the bookwork and took care of behind the scenes operations.  He retired in 2015 after they sold The Starting Gate.  James was a member of Knights of Columbus.  He was also a member of Northville American Legion Post 147, Northville Moose Lodge 1190, and Northville Fraternal Order of Eagles 2504.  In his younger years James was a great baseball player and enjoyed Ping-Pong, which he started playing at Boys Club of Dearborn where he was being mentored following the death of his father at age 9.  James was an incredibly hard worker; he was very generous and donated to many school programs, children’s programs and teams in the Northville Community throughout the years.  He was an avid hunter and like being outdoors.  James loved his family and cherished the time they spent together; he especially adored his grandchildren, they were the heart and soul of his life. James is survived by his loving wife, Mary Margaret Rea; his sons, James D. “Jimmy” Rea, Jr. and Gino Rea; his siblings Ted (Donna) Rea and Felice Rea; his granddaughter Alicia (John) Sawicki; and his great granddaughters, Courtney Burmeister and Amelia Higgins.  He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Frank; his sisters, Josephine, Mary, and Angie; and his granddaughter, Collette Higgins. The visitation will be held Wednesday, September 6, 2017 from 2:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.  A funeral service will be held Thursday, September 7, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. at Casterline Funeral Home, 122 W. Dunlap, Northville.  Following a luncheon at Genitti’s Restaurant the committal prayers will be held at 2:30 p.m. at Rural Hill Cemetery in Northville.  In lieu of flowers the family would appreciate memorial contributions to Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan, 26777 Halstead Rd., Ste. 100, Farmington Hills, Michigan 48331.