James Sebastian - Obituary

ames Murray Sebastian died peacefully in his sleep on June 17, 2017 at the age of 82. He was the husband of the late Joan Sebastian and devoted father of seven children, Margaret (Michael) Rotwein, Sally Sebastian, Thomas Sebastian, Andrew (Deanna) Sebastian, Joseph Sebastian, Jerome Sebastian, and Polly (Gregg) Schurer. He is survived by his sister, Helen Gleaton, and brother, Paul Sebastian. He was also the loving PopPop to his nine grandchildren: Matt (Lisa), Susie, T.J., Ayva, Lily, Morgan, Casey, Hannah, and Kyle. A great deal of Jim’s youth was spent in the Brookland neighborhood, including the hours spent perfecting his basketball skills at Turkey Thicket. Jim was a graduate of St. Paul’s Academy class of 1952. He then served in the United States Army. Most of his career was spent in the Federal Government with Small Business Administration and General Services Administration (Indian Trust Accounting) where he was a much-loved supervisor and colleague until his retirement in 1994. He was an active member of St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church in Upper Marlboro for more than 25 years and cherished his time as a member of the Knights of Columbus. He was a frequent usher at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and participated in many Catholic education programs in his retirement. He loved sports and rooted for local teams, including the Redskins, Terrapins, Orioles, and more recently, the Washington Nationals. Jim always had an encouraging word to share and a great sense of humor. Friends are invited to celebrate James's life on Thursday, June 22 from 6 to 9 pm at the George P. Kalas Funeral Home, 2973 Solomons Island Rd., Edgewater, MD. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, June 23 at 11 am at St. Mary the Assumption Catholic Church, 14908 Main Street, Upper Marlboro. Interment immediately following at Maryland's Veteran Cemetery, Cheltenham.