James L. Viens, 85, passed peacefully on Friday, December 2, 2016 at Baystate Franklin Medical Center, Greenfield, MA, following a period of declining health.A native of Montague, MA, he was born on June 18, 1931 to Hormidas and Leonie (Corbiere) Viens. He attended the former St. Anne's Parochial School, later Montague Public Schools and was a graduate of Turners Falls High School in the Class of 1949. While at TFHS, he was a member of the varsity football team and was selected to the All Western Mass football team. Jim enlisted in the United States Navy in September of 1949 and served as a submariner aboard the SS-334 Cabezon which was stationed at Pearl Harbor, HI. He was an Interior Communication Electrician with a rate of IC 3rd Class during the Korean Conflict until his honorable discharge in September of 1953. During his deployment, he was a stand-out member of the USN Pacific Fleet football team. Upon his return to civilian life, he accepted a position within the Town of Deerfield Public School System as an educator, teaching for 37 years at the South Deerfield Elementary School until his retirement in 1994. He furthered his education by attending American International College in Springfield, MA, where he obtained his BA in History in 1958, as well as his MA in Education in 1962. He married the former Ruth M. SanSoucie on June 2, 1956 in the former St. Mary's of the Assumption Church in Turners Falls, MA. They celebrated their 60th anniversary this past June. A devout Catholic, Jim was a communicant of Our Lady of Peace Church in Turners Falls, where he served the parish as a lector, member of the finance committee and as a member and past president of the Parish Council. He was also a member of the Montague Cable Advisory Committee for several years, the American Legion, the Turners Falls Athletic Club and member of the Massachusetts Association of Retired Teachers. He enjoyed following TFHS sports, all New England sports teams, as well as the school and athletic events of his children and grandchildren. He is lovingly remembered by his devoted wife Ruth M. Viens of Turners Falls, MA, as well as his children: Thomas and his wife Heather, of Colrain, MA; Janine Boguslawski and her husband Edward of Springfield, VT; Robert of Augsburg, Germany; William and his wife Pame, of Feeding Hills, MA and Amelie ""Amy"" Johnson and her husband Michael, of Montague, MA. Additionally, he is remembered with affection by his grandchildren: Hannah, Eben and Luke Viens and Lee and Zoe Gaines; Sarah Wheeler and Jeffrey Boguslawski; Christopher and Nicolas Viens; Amanda Lemelin and Emma, Madelyn and Eliza Johnson and by his four great-grandchildren. Jim will be missed by his sister; Dolores Greene of Greenfield, MA, as well as several nieces, nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews.Funeral services will conducted on Friday, DECEMBER 9, 2016 with a Liturgy of Christian Burial at Our Lady of Peace Church, 90 Seventh Street, Turners Falls, MA at 10:00AM, with Rev. Fr. Stanley J. Aksamit, Pastor, as the celebrant. Rites of committal and inurnment will follow in St. Anne's Cemetery, Turners Falls, MA, with military honors to be provided by the United States Navy, Groton, CT. A reception will follow in the Fr. Casey Hall of Our Lady of Peace Church, at the conclusion of the committal service at the cemetery. Guests are asked to convene directly at the church in observance of the funeral Mass on Friday morning. Visiting hours will be observed on Thursday evening, December 8, 2016 from the McCarthy Funeral Homes, 14 Prospect Street, Turners Falls, MA from 5:00PM until 7:00PM. Expressions of affection in the form of a charitable contribution in Jim's memory, are suggested in lieu of flowers to the Turners Falls All Sports Booster Club, in c/o TFHS, 222 Turnpike Road, Montague, MA 01351.The McCarthy Funeral Homes of Greenfield and Turners Falls, MA, have been entrusted with the arrangements. Guest book and condolence message available at www.mccarthyfuneralhomes.com.