Obituary of James Vincent Stabile

Jim Stabile, 88, passed away on October 6, 2024, at Chatham Hills Subacute Center in Chatham Township, NJ, due to cancer. He was a renowned and prolific outdoor writer for over sixty years.

He was born to Anna and Vincent Stabile in Raritan NJ on January 3, 1936. After serving two years in the Army, he attended Paul Smith's College in NY, where he played hockey, edited the college newspaper, and had a program on the college radio station.

He started his career as a radio newsman in the Hudson Valley. While working there, he met his wife-to-be in Woodstock, NY, and the couple moved back to NJ in 1964. During this time, Jim held various media-related positions such as news editor, chief copy editor, and wrote columns for several newspapers and magazines.

In 1973 he moved to Okemos, Michigan, to serve as managing editor of Michigan Out-of-Doors magazine. His tenure in Michigan was short-lived, however, and he returned to NJ in 1974, settling in Mendham.

Upon his return to NJ, Jim took the position of Public Information Director for the NJ Department of Corrections, where he worked for twenty years until his retirement in 1995. In 1996, he moved to Morristown, where he continued to write on a freelance basis until 2020.

During his writing career, he won many awards for his work and served as an officer in several outdoors associations. He enjoyed fishing and hunting across Canada and the U.S. until he was disabled by a stroke in 2013. He will be remembered for his sense of humor, his vibrant personality, and his love of nature.

He is survived by two daughters: Jill Stabile of Landing, NJ, and Victoria Stabile of Montclair, NJ.

Visitation will be held at Bailey Funeral Home at 8 Hilltop Road in Mendham on Friday, October 11 from 4-8pm. Funeral mass will be celebrated at St Joseph's Church at 8 West Main Street in Mendham on Saturday, October 12 at 1pm followed by interment at Mendham Hilltop Cemetery.