Father James A. Grimmer

Father James A. Grimmer, a retired diocesan priest, died Jan. 9, 2017, at the Brothers of Mercy nursing facility in Clarence. He was 87 years of age.

He was born Aug. 19, 1929, in Buffalo, to Aloysius and Marion (Rung) Grimmer. He attended Mount Carmel College in Ontario, Canada, and the Little Seminary of St. Joseph and the Little Flower in Buffalo before receiving a bachelor's degree in philosophy from St. Bonaventure University. He then attended Christ the King Seminary, also at St. Bonaventure University.

Father Grimmer was ordained May 5, 1954, in Buffalo, by Bishop Joseph A. Burke. His first assignment was in a missionary apostolate at St. John of the Cross Parish in Whitesville the same year. In 1955, he was named an assistant pastor at St. Mary Parish in Batavia and Sacred Heart Parish in Buffalo.

In 1957, he began serving at St. Leo the Great in Amherst, and in 1961, at St. Matthew in Buffalo. Additionally, he served as an assistant pastor at Our Lady of Help Christians in Cheektowaga from 1964 until 1971, when he was transferred to Immaculate Conception Parish in Wellsville.

Father Grimmer was named pastor of Immaculate Conception in 1972, where he remained until 1984, when he became pastor of St. Mary in East Eden. A fourth-degree Knight of Columbus, he retired in 2002.

He is survived by siblings Mark (Bonnie) Grimmer, Carol (James) Lamantia and Virginia (James) MacKay.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, Jan. 12, from 1 to 4 p.m. at St. Mary's at 8175 E. Eden Road, East Eden (Oratory of St. John the Baptist in Boston) and again on Friday, Jan. 13, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Dengler, Roberts and Perna Funeral Home, 3070 Delaware Avenue, Kenmore.

Visitation will also be held from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 14, at St. Andrew's Church, 1525 Sheridan Drive, Kenmore, where the Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Bishop Edward M. Grosz at 10:30 a.m. Priests are invited to concelebrate and Deacons are invited to vest.