James McAuliffe Obituary

James Edward McAuliffe, Jr. CHARLESTON - James Edward McAuliffe, Jr., 78, of Charleston, SC, passed away on Monday, December 11, 2023. Born on June 7, 1945 in Highland Park, MI to the late Mary Shea McAuliffe and the late James Edward McAuliffe, Sr., Jim was the eldest of 8 rowdy siblings. He attended Michigan State University, where he met his future wife, Christine Clark. After graduating from college, Jim began his career in Human Resources at Prestolite in Bay City, MI and continued in the field until retiring from Kaiser Aluminum in 2012. Upon retirement, Jim and Chris began crossing off places on their bucket list that they wanted to visit, such as Italy and Bordeaux, France. In addition to traveling and exploring with Chris, Jim enjoyed playing golf and joined in on the occasional club golf tournament with his wife and friends. He also loved hunting and fishing and shared many trips and fishing stories with his father-in-law and friends. Jim was known for his integrity, strong work ethic, and generosity. You could usually find an extra or two seated at the dinner table or sharing the slopes on a ski trip out West. Jim's proudest accomplishment in life was his family. He loved with his whole heart and was one of the proudest Papas around. He loved spending time with his family, and anyone who knew him would see the pride on his face when speaking of them. With his love for water, Jim was an excellent swimmer and an avid fisherman who could often be found on his boat. He made sure to pass this love for swimming and fishing on to his grandchildren and made it a priority to take them on an intercostal fishing trip every summer. Jim is survived by his children: Heather (Jon) Shell; Mathew (Nicole) McAuliffe; Michael (Leora) McAuliffe; grandchildren: JJ, Jack and Sophia Shell; Chase, Ashland and Mathew Jr.; Eleanor and Anna McAuliffe; and siblings: Dan (Kathy) McAuliffe; Maureen (Scot) Chapman; Jennie (Tom) Mamula; Mary Ellen(Bruce) Valliant; Karen (Duane) Kanotz; and Kelly (Pat) Morgan. Jim is preceded in death by his brother, Michael A. McAuliffe. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00am on Tuesday, December 19 at St. Claire of Assisi Catholic Church (990 Etiwan Park Street, Charleston, SC 29492). In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to either Rock Steady Boxing "Fighting Back Against Parkinson's" (6847 Hillsdale Ct. Indianapolis, IN 46250) or South Carolina Aquarium (100 Aquarium Wharf, Charleston, SC 29401). Arrangements have been entrusted to McAlister-Smith Funeral Home, 1520 Rifle Range Road, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464; tel. (843) 884-3833. Expressions of sympathy may be viewed or submitted online at mcalister-smith.com. Visit our guestbook at legacy.com/obituaries/charleston