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"Surrounded by his father Jack Sr., brother Jack Jr., and holding the hand of Cat, his loving wife of 20 years, James John DeSalvo departed this life and reunited with his beloved mother Kathleen in that special place he liked to call 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow,' ” family friend Ruth Ozbolt Cleary wrote Monday night.
Outpourings of love, honor and respect have continued to multiply ever since.
Jim "Bean" DeSalvo "was one of the good ones," guitar parts manufacturer Adam Reiver said. "He became an instant brother the very day I met him over 25 years ago. Everybody loved Jim and loved being around him."
Doug Bryan, who visited the hospital Monday to say goodbye, called DeSalvo, 53, a “family first/family overall guy.”
“I am so saddened for his wife Cat and his kids, who he never stopped talking about -- be it whenever we talked on the phone or when spending time together,” said Bryan, who owns Studio 917 in Middletown, NY. “He loved them more than anything in life, and that was so obvious.”
DeSalvo helped Bryan launch the recording studio in Orange County.
“He just wanted to be a part of it in whatever way he could,” Bryan said. “He said to me: ‘Give me a day to come up and we will get things working and ready to go. This is going to be huge. I just know it.’
“That day turned into an entire weekend,” he said. “He didn't want to leave here without knowing we got everything working and ready to go.
“This is the essence of who ‘Bean’ was…He put everything and everyone and their needs and necessities above his own.”
DeSalvo was riding his bicycle on the shoulder of southbound Black Oak Ridge Road in Wayne around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday when a tire blew out on a 2007 Mack truck fully loaded with asphalt, authorities said.
The wheel with the tire and rim fell off, rolled and struck him, they said.
He remained in a coma until Monday night.
Supporters have helped DeSalvo and his wife, Cat, a freelance video editor who married him 20 years ago last week.
As of Tuesday afternoon, donations had exceeded $50,000.
SEE: Recovery Fund for Jim DeSalvo Family (GoFundMe)
DeSalvo earned a degree in political science from William Paterson University. He was an adjunct for several years at Passaic County Community College, most recently at its Wanaque campus.
He engineered, produced and mastered artists for nearly 35 years, mostly at his Beanstudio in Wayne, for Unseen Rain Records and other labels. He worked with a wide range of musicians, from Yes lead singer Jon Anderson to Darryl “DMC” McDaniels.
DeSalvo spent time at EMI music in New York, hung around The Hit Factory, BMG Studios and New York City music venues.
The father of two taught recording, mixing and mastering, as well as voice and singing for recording and performance, jazz, rock, classical guitar, drum, horns and piano for several years at the School of Rock, among other places.
"He lives on in us... his friends. Hundreds of friends," said guitarist John Crisci. "The room isn’t big enough. Hell, I think the cops my even show up just for traffic control.
"He was that kind of a guy."
Arrangements were being handled by Moore's Home For Funerals in Wayne. Check back for details.
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