James Michael ("Jim/Mickey") Nolan passed away peacefully with loving family on Friday, August 8, 2025, at JFK University Medical Center in Edison, NJ. He was 72 years old.

Born in Hackensack on March 23, 1953, to the late Alice and James A. Nolan, and raised in River Edge, he has resided in Woodbridge for the past 39 years.

Jim was employed as a Steamfitter for the Enterprise Association of Steamfitters, Local #638, in New York City and then as a Machinist for the New York City Board of Education from 1995 until his retirement in 2015.

He was a graduate of Bergen Community College and continued his education as a Journeyman, Licensed Electrician, and HVAC Technician.He belonged to the First Presbyterian Church of Avenel and the Woodbridge Community Center where he enjoyed Zumba and swimming with his wife and gal pals. At the center, he was formerly a member of the Woodbridge Billiards Club.

Jim found pleasure in musical theater and the symphony, cooking, and being outside in the summer. He loved to read books on topics such as natural science, science fiction, and history. As an avid American History enthusiast, he enjoyed print and film accounts of past domestic politics and war—his favorite movie was the comedic drama Kelly's Heroes. Additionally, he had a fondness for the slapstick classics of the 1980s, including The National Lampoons series and Spaceballs.

In the Nolan household of his childhood, there were several treasured pet dogs; he subsequently became a late-blooming cat dad when his then teenage daughter brought home his second child, a cat named Peaches. Jim reveled in caring for his girls—his loving wife, his cherished only child (who will always be daddy's little girl), and his beloved mother.

Traveling adventures were a regular part of Jim's story, with his final journey taking him on a Caribbean cruise with his wife. He checked many items off his bucket list, having traveled to destinations such as Hawaii, Alaska, and his motherland of Ireland. Jim loved visiting historical sites around the U.S. as well as major theme parks such as Busch Gardens and Disney World with his family. He was always ready for his next vacation, studying large paper maps on his desk and most recently becoming lost in the labyrinth of London's alleys, streets, and notable locations.

In his adventurous youth, he was led on a cross-country expedition to California via motorcycle. As a young man, he also loved fast cars, including his shiny red Camaro. Jim was once a talented chess player, karate enthusiast, and lover of rock music from the golden era of the 1960s-1970s.

A jubilant storyteller and jokester, Jim would light up around "the boys"—his father, brothers, and nephews. He was a spirited lad with his infectious smile and piercing blue eyes. If you were fortunate enough to be standing in a grocery store checkout line with him, he would undoubtedly brighten your day with pleasant conversation and kind words.

In addition to his parents, Jim was predeceased by his brother Patrick Nolan, his sister Kathleen Nolan, and her husband Edward Churnside.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 47 years, Gayle Cameron Nolan; daughter Alison Lorraine Curtis and her husband Michael; brother John Nolan; nephews Terrance Nolan and his wife Judy; Gary Nolan, his wife Courtney, and their daughters Finley and Kerrigan; as well as several cousins; he was also loved by his wife's family: his parents-in-law Thomas and Carolyn Cameron; and many siblings, nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews in-law.

A memorial service will take place on Saturday, August 23, 2025, 11:00am, at The First Presbyterian Church of Avenel, 621 E. Woodbridge Avenue, Avenel, NJ 07001.

In lieu of flowers, kindly consider donating to the church, to the Angel PAWS Pet Adoption Center in Colonia, NJ, or to the Mental Health Association in New Jersey.