James Joseph Kattner February 04, 1956 – January 01, 2019 Share this obituary Send Flowers View/Sign Guest Book| Send Private Condolences| Send Sympathy Card James Joseph Kattner, passed at his home in Bonita Springs, Florida, on January 1, 2019, at age 62, of natural causes. He is survived by his brother, Conrad Kattner, and younger brother, Gerard Kattner, both of the Philadelphia area. Jim was born in 1956, and lived his early years in West Philadelphia, with his parents, Conrad Kattner, Sr., and Anna Mae Kattner, both now deceased, and with his three brothers, Conrad Jr., Gerard, mentioned above, and Joseph Kattner, deceased.
In the early 1960s, he moved with his family to the Mayfair section of Northeast Philadelphia, and attended St. Matthews R.C. parish and grade school. At St. Joseph’s Prep, class of 1974, Jim was active in stage crew and football. At Penn State, first at Hazelton, then State College, to 1978, he stayed active in stage crew.
Following college, he worked for a time as a stage carpenter for Walnut Street Theater in Philadelphia. He was married for a few years in the early 1980s in Central Pennsylvania, divorced with no children, then moved to Florida. In Florida, Jim participated in building many creative displays for the theme parks going into the Orlando area in the 1980s, including Universal Studios, He then lived in nearby Kissimmee, Florida.
He moved to Naples, Florida in the 1990s, and become the chief stage hand for the Naples Philharmonic, including setup for many prominent performers. In 1997 he settled in nearby Bonita Springs, Florida. Jim was President of the local stage-hands union for several years, and he helped staff, supervise, and set up many conventions, concerts, and sporting events in the Southwest Florida area.
In recent years, some health complications required his right leg to be amputated above the knee. Despite this, he continued with occasional side work, setting up plays for nearby schools, management of his property, and participation in local clubs and social organizations. Jim was almost always bigger than life, at 6 foot, 8 inches.
Jim loved music, and throughout his life played guitar and mandolin. He continued many friendships up to the time of his recent unexpected passing, and he will be sorely missed. Funeral Services will be held graveside on Friday, January 25, 2019, starting 11:00 a.m., at Holy Cross Cemetery 626 Bailey Rd.
Yeadon, Pa. 19050. Msgr.
Charles will officiate. THE FUNERAL PROCESSION WILL MEET AT 10:45 am INSIDE THE FRONT GATE OF THE CEMETERY OFF OF BAILEY RD. BURIAL WILL BE IN SECTION 63.
SERVICES Graveside Service Friday, January 25, 2019 11:00 AM Holy Cross cemetery 626 Bailey Rd. Yeadon, Pa.
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