DELMAR — Rev. James D. Daley, the longtime pastor of the Church of Saint Thomas the Apostle who presided over the modernized renovation of its school, died Monday, Dec. 26. He was 95.
Daley served the church as pastor for 33 years, from his appointment in 1970 to his retirement in 2002. Before that, he was associate pastor at St. Patrick’s parish in Troy and taught at Catholic Central High School. He subsequently taught at Mater Christi Seminary in Albany. He was diocesan vocations director before his appointment to St. Thomas the Apostle parish. In retirement, he assisted Rev. Geoffrey Burke at Our Lady of the Assumption parish in Latham and presided over Mass at St. Joseph’s Provincial House.
Daley graduated from Vincentian Institute in Albany. After serving in the Army during WW II and studying at Siena College, he entered Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD. Ordained in 1954, he served at Saint Patrick’s Troy until 1957. He did graduate studies at Catholic University in Washington from 1957 to 1959 and taught classical languages at the former Mater Christi Seminary in Albany from 1959 to 1970.
Daley was predeceased by sisters, Joan Brennan, Sister Maria Rosario (Regina) Daley, MM, Rose McAuliffe and Veronica Zimmerman; brothers-in-law, Charles Brennan, John (Jack) McAuliffe and Harold (Bud) Zimmerman; and a nephew, Michael Brennan.
He is survived by numerous loving nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, great-grandnieces and great-grandnephews.
The Rite of Reception of the Body will be celebrated in Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Latham on Tuesday, Jan. 3, at 3 p.m. Visitation will then continue until 6 p.m. The funeral liturgy will be celebrated on Wednesday, January 4 at 10 am at Our Lady of the Assumption Church. Interment will be in Our Lady of Angels Cemetery, Colonie. Donations may be made in Father’s memory to Albany Diocesan Seminarian Fund, 40 North Main Ave., Albany, NY 12203.
