'He Could Light Up A Room': Man Struck And Killed In Ronkonkoma Remembered By Family For Making Friends

RONKONKOMA, NY — A Massachusetts man who police say was struck and killed last week in Ronkonkoma is being remembered as the type of person who could light up a room, according to a fundraiser started by a family member on GoFundMe for the family of the man struck and killed in last week.

Jim Jones, of Fall River, 55, was struck by a sedan while trying to cross Veterans Memorial Highway on Nov. 13, and was later pronounced dead by Stony Brook University Hospital, police said.

"Jim is gone far too soon at only 55 years old, in an incredibly unexpected way," wrote Amy Willett, the cousin of his wife, Cathy. "He could light up a room, and everywhere he went, he left with a new friend."

Everyone who knew him, knew how much he loved Cathy, "and how much she loves him in return," Willet wrote.

The fundraiser was started to help honor Jones and help his wife, who saw him as the love of her life, with paying for his funeral services, according to the post.

Patch has reached out to Willet.

So far, the page has raised over $5,000 to help defray costs.

It is not clear if arrangements have been finalized.

The 64-year-old woman who was behind the wheel of the sedan at the time of the crash was not hurt, but her vehicle was impounded for a safety check.

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call the 5th Squad in Patchogue at 631-854-8552.