James Douglas Cosgrove, 86, died February 15, 2015, at Munson Medical Center Hospice House in Traverse City, surrounded by by his loving family.

James (Jim), the son of John K. & Adley (Morin) Cosgrove was born in Baltimore, Maryland on August 23, 1928. He married the love of his life, Kathleen (Tinky-Dear) Krohn on February 18, 1951, in Traverse City.

Jim grew up in Lansing Mi. and attended Lansing Everett High School where he played Center for the basketball team (coincidentally, the same school and position as MSU and NBA star Earvin 'Magic' Johnson although, as he liked to humorously point out when discussing the fact, 'it wasn't at the same time'.

While he may not have been in the same league on the basketball court, he was in a league all his own on the court of life, and consistently voted Number One by all those he encountered and had the chance to be around him.

The Cosgrove Family farm was on Peninsula Drive on the Old Mission Peninsula Peninsula, across from Marion ( Power) Island, where he lived, usually alone, self-learning and honing his farming skills before studying horticulture at Michigan State University. He confessed to being startled one late night, when he was fourteen, by strange noises coming from the big yellow barn (still known locally as the Cosgrove Barn) and was frightened enough that he jumped on his bicycle and rode frantically back to his Grandmother's house on Randolph Street in Traverse City, a trip of some 15 miles.
Fruits grown on the farm were pears, apples, peaches, prunes and, of course, cherries. Jim also brought blueberries to the Old Mission Peninsula, that he was able to salvage when the Lansing Airport was expanded.

Jim was a multi-talented man who also worked as a carpenter, builder, mechanic and tool and die technician, all to supplement the family farm(s) income. He designed and built one of the first mechanical cherry tree limb shakers while working in the tool and die business in Traverse City. He was also an integral part of the success of his fathers business start-up, American Nitrogen Corporation.

Jim was a talented fruit farmer but he will be remembered more for his ability to grow a loving family that was inspired daily by his calm demeanor and loving concern for all those around him. When faced with life's surprises and hardships, and there were many, Jim was the rock who could be depended on to set an example for how to support, understand, love and appreciate each other. He was the perfect example of someone who lived, every day, by the Golden Rule.

Jim was preceded in death by his wife, Kathleen (Tink); his parents John K. and Adley Cosgrove; his brother John (Elly) Cosgrove; his sons James D. II and Stephen R. Cosgrove and son-in-law Shawn L. Keane.

He is survived by his daughters: Kathleen D. (David) Ott, Shirley E. (James) Sullivan, Leslie K. (Scott) Young, Coleen S. (Shawn) Keane, and Daughter in Law: Mary Lee (Kevin) Keenan.
He is also survived by his 13 Grandchildren and 19 Great-grandchildren; his sister; Shirley (William) Miller and many nieces and nephews, all of whom he loved with all his heart.

A celebration of Jim's life will be held on Thursday, February 19th at the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home in Traverse City with visitation at 10:00 AM and funeral service at 11:00 AM.
The family suggests memorial contributions be sent to the Heart Failure Clinic at Munson Medical Center.