Obituary of James Drago

James J. Drago of Mount Vernon died tragically on July 4, 2010 at the age of 49. He was born on September 10, 1960 and raised in Yonkers. Mr. Drago is survived by his three children, James 15, John 13, and Joseph 10. He is also survived by the love of his life Arlene Drago with whom he has been with since they were teenagers. He is further survived by sisters Donna Mcloughlin of Yonkers, Deborah Demunbrun of Houston, Texas, and brothers John F. Jr. (Jack) of Mount Vernon and Daniel of Yonkers. He is predeceased by both his parents John F. Sr. and Jean Drago of Yonkers. Jimmy was a devoted son and caregiver to both his parents throughout their illnesses. His three boys were his life. He doted on them, always active in sports and other activities. He was a firefighter with the Mount Vernon Fire Department, serving with both pride and dedication. Jimmy loved his department, co-workers and the community in which he served. During his twelve year tenure, he was awarded a Unit Citation, and in 2000 he was also awarded a Class Two Citation for an act of bravery during a rescue. Jimmy did not hesitate to respond to the twin towers attack on September 11th 2001 to assist in rescue and recovery efforts. It was widely known to those close to him that Jim's heart was as big as his frame and his personality was as colorful as the tattoos that adorned his body. Prior to MVFD, Jimmy was a well-known member of teamsters local 456 when he worked for Yonkers DPW as a sanitation worker. He was larger than life; A true hero in every sense of the word. Last summer Jim rescued two people off of a burning boat in the Long Island Sound and later chose to remain anonymous. Jim will remain forever in our hearts. Visitation will be at Sinatra Memorial Home at 601 Yonkers Avenue, Yonkers, NY on Saturday July 10th from 5pm-9pm and Sunday July 11th from 5pm-9pm. A service is to be held in St. John the Baptist Church at 670 Yonkers Ave, Yonkers, NY Monday July 12th at 11am. Interment will follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery.