James Robert DiGuglielmo, devoted family man

James “Jimmy” Robert DiGuglielmo, born Feb. 16, 1959, was a family man – a family man who didn’t draw the line at blood. A man who was reliable, dependable, and always happened to be there just when you needed him. From a flat tire to a full home renovation, when in doubt, “Call Jimmy!”

A DelCastle High School graduate of 1977, Jimmy left behind the books and took on his passion for horse racing prior to entering the workforce as a general contractor with Carpenters Local, what would later be the notable catalyst to a successful life ahead in construction management. Jimmy married the love of his life, Wendy Ann Kelly, in 1989, and soon after welcomed four beautiful children into his world. He is survived by all four of his children, J.T. DiGuglielmo (Colleen), Nicky DiGuglielmo (Eileen), Luke DiGuglielmo and Dallas Jackson (Nick). He is also survived by his first and only granddaughter and namesake, Maren James Jackson, and his first grandson on the way, Oliver James DiGuglielmo. Jimmy leaves behind his parents, Daniel J. DiGuglielmo Sr. and Josephine A. DiGuglielmo, as well as three siblings, Danny, Mark and Lisa DiGuglielmo. Jimmy was preceded in death by his beloved family dog, Duke, who is undoubtedly welcoming him into the gates of heaven, begging for an ice cube.

Jimmy lived the majority of his life at the Delaware beaches, giving his family a life of genuine privilege, all while teaching that the best things in life are earned through commitment, devotion and a strong work ethic.

Jimmy embodied these traits and used his success in life to take his family on an abundance of Puerto Rican vacations, fishing trips, hunting trips and more. He was a man of the outdoors, and that is how his family will remember him.

Jimmy fought relentlessly for the past five years with stage 4 metastatic colorectal cancer and truly defied the odds. His fight was one of admiration, strength, and profound grit in the face of adversity. One of his last wishes was a plea for the advocation of colon cancer screening in all people, young and old.

Jimmy passed peacefully in his home Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, surrounded by those he loved most.

In his true nature, Jimmy made the selfless decision to leave his body behind to science, hopeful of making profound discoveries in medicine that could save a child’s life.

Jimmy had requested no additional funeral services, mass or social gathering on his behalf, sharing with his wife and children, “The people that really matter are right in this room.”

Visit Jimmy’s Life Memorial webpage at parsellfuneralhomes.com.