James M. Rabbitt Sr. (Jim) of Medford on May 29th passed peacefully with his family by his side. Beloved former husband of Cheryl Sestito Rabbitt and loving father of James Rabbitt Jr. and his wife Lillian and Kristin Rabbitt Cardone and her husband Brian. Jim also adored his three beautiful grandchildren Giuliana Rose Cardone, Salvatore Robert Cardone, and Cameron James Rabbitt. Jim was also a loving brother to John (Jack) Rabbitt of Winchester and his wife Tricia and of the late Brian Rabbitt of Medford. He is also survived by many other loving nieces, nephews and friends.

Born in Medford, MA Jim attended and graduated from Medford Vocational High School in 1977 before entering the military where he served in the Air Force for 4 years. He was stationed in Hawaii and in Florida during his service. His true pleasure and enjoyment in life was being there for his family and friends whenever they needed him. Jim never missed a football game, cheering competition, or an event that his children were a part of, even as adults. He would be the first to help you fix something around the house or drive hours away to wherever he was needed and without hesitation.

He coached Pop Warner Football for over two decades, coached Youth Hockey and Little League Baseball, was the world’s biggest cheerleading fan for his daughter and her many teams and was often easy to spot in those crowds. Jim worked at Raytheon for 40 years as a tester/inspector and was a strong advocate for Union Local 1505.

Jim loved serving his country, his family, and his friends and was a strong force for all of those around him his entire life. We will miss his presence at all our events, his laugh, and his selfless and positive attitude towards life.

Jim’s funeral will be held at 9:00 AM on Saturday, June 3rd at the Dello Russo Funeral Home, 306 Main St., Medford, followed by a funeral mass celebrated in St. Francis Of Assisi Church at 10 AM. Services will conclude with burial at Wildwood Cemetery, Winchester. Visiting hours will be held on Friday from 4 - 8 PM. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association, 260 Cochituate Road, Suite 200, Framingham, MA 01701 or to the charity of one's choice.