James W. McGreggor

James W. McGreggor, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania passed away at the age of 66 on July 10th, 2020. James was the beloved son of the late James M. and Loretta McGreggor, brother to Diane, Joey, and Johnny, and is survived by his sons James T., Michael, and Craig, and his two granddaughters Isla and Alliyah. James also leaves behind nieces Samantha, Kristine, Kaitlin, Jamie, Margaret, Beth, and Erin, nephews Tommy, Michael, and Joey, his niece and god-daughter Amanda, his ex-wife Diane, his daughter-in-law Wendy, and his best-friend and loving partner Colette.

James McGreggor had a big personality and was known by many people for many things. To those of the Operating Engineers Local 542, James “Mad Dog” McGreggor, was a wild, hard-working, and brave soul, who operated in the most extreme environments willing to put himself at risk for his fellow union brothers. For the friends and family that James “Jimmy” McGreggor grew up with, he was known as the life of the party, as someone who loved to be the sharpest dressed man in the room but was not afraid to get into a brawl from time to time. More than that, he was known to be loyal and honest. To his nieces, nephews, children and especially grandchildren, he was someone who was a loving and devoted man who would do anything for them.

To describe James in any one particular way would be challenging at best; James was an enigma. Despite the tough exterior James had an eclectic and soft side that may not have been known to all; to start, he loved to cook – one of his favorite chefs was Julia Child. He enjoyed musicals – he could recite any part of West Side Story on demand. Of course, as a true Philadelphian, he loved the Eagles, Phillies, and Flyers. James loved to garden, write poetry, and buying the most thoughtful gifts for his family. Even his choice in music was eclectic, Pink Floyd, The Doors, David Bowie, Kraftwerk, Herbie Hancock, and Johan Sebastian Bach could easily be found in his record collection; however, his absolute favorite was Frank Zappa. Heritage was also incredibly important to James; he was a proud American who loved his Scotch Irish and Italian lineage.

More than anything else, what was the most important thing to James, and what he would want to be remembered for is family. James “Jim” McGreggor loved his family more than anything and he would do anything to ensure that they were happy, especially for his nieces, nephews, and grand-children; it was not beyond him to put on a full body woolen T-Rex costume in the middle of the summer to deliver a present and balloons for a birthday.

We celebrate the colorful life and memories of James McGreggor and the various ways that he has decorated our lives.

Relatives and friends are invited to his Memorial Gathering on Thursday July 16, 2020 between 11:30AM and 1:00 PM, at John F. Fluehr & Sons, Inc 3301 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia PA 19149.

In lieu of flowers please donate to the CHOP Cancer Center in memory of James W. McGreggor .https://give2.chop.edu/give/243741/#!/donation/checkout

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, please respect social-distancing measures including the wearing of facial masks – thank you.


John F. Fluehr & Sons, Inc.

Funeral Home Serving Families Since 1898

3301 Cottman Avenue
Philadelphia PA 19149

215-624-5150
215-624-3302

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