Obituary of James Arthur Calcagnini

James Arthur Calcagnini passed away peacefully at his home in Darien, CT on

December 7, 2021 after a courageous battle against ALS. He is survived by family he

adored: his wife DeAnne, his children Addison and Jake, his parents Donald and Joyce,

his twin brother Tom, and his sister Elise. James was an incredibly generous, caring,

and fun-loving person. His infectious joy for life will be missed by all who were lucky

enough to know him.

James was born on February 9th, 1962 in West Islip, NY. He grew up in

Hamden, Connecticut and attended Hopkins School in New Haven. He is a proud

graduate of Notre Dame University and remained an ardent fan of the Fighting Irish ever

since.

James began his career as a clerk for B&J commodities on the floor of the

NYBOT, where he thrived in the fanfare of the pits. He quickly went on to become a

commodities trader, and later, a broker, founding his business, East Coast Options

Services, in 1992 with his partner Bob Cione. He was a former Board member of the

New York Board of Trade, and through his service on numerous exchange committees,

he was instrumental in revising many exchange rules to adapt to changes in the

industry.

Above all else, James was a man of faith and charity. He devoted countless

hours to helping others and was an involved member of St. John's Church in Darien. He

served as a Board Member and Treasurer of Pacific House in Stamford for nearly a

decade, aiming to end homelessness in Lower Fairfield County. He was named their

2018 gala honoree in recognition of his commitment to the cause. His faithfulness to the

Catholic Church and its charitable mission led him to be invested as a Knight of the

Order of Malta in 2019.

James was a highly competitive athlete, always seeking his personal best.

Whether on the tennis or paddle court, the baseball field, or even out for a leisurely jog

on the street, James would never settle for anything less than first place. He applied this

attitude to his fight against ALS. From the moment he received the diagnosis, James

was steadfast in his conviction that he would not let ALS defeat him. He dove headlong

into the quest to find a cure. Being in the unique position of having an identical twin, he

and his brother contributed to research that will forever impact our understanding of this

illness and ultimately lead us to the cure. ALS did not win this battle. James did.

James has gone too soon, but he leaves behind a legacy of faith, love, and good

times that every one who knew him will never forget. He had a knack for making

everyone feel that they were special and has changed countless lives with his loving

presence.

James' wake will take place at Lawrence Funeral Home in Darien on Sunday,

December 12th at 4-6pm. His funeral will be officiated by Monsignor Powers at St.

John's Church on Monday, December 13th at 11am. In lieu of flowers, donations may be

made to CalcagniniALSFoundation.org, CCALS.org, and teamgleason.org