Obituary for Michael J. Najim
Westerly - Michael J. Najim passed away on May 10, 2022 at the Westerly Health Center.
Mike was born in Lawrence, MA. He was the son of Jabran and Eva Najim. Mike grew up in New London, CT and attended New London High School.
He met the love of his life, Gloria Curzio, on his twenty-first birthday at the Blue Sands in Misquamicut beach. They married five months later and were married for the next fifty-four years until Gloria’s passing in 2016.
Mike was a loving and devoted father to Debbie Beaulieu (Mark), Mary Ann Adamopoulos (Costa), Maureen Haberek, and Rev. Michael Najim. He was the loving “Jid” to Kevin and Stephanie Beaulieu and Nicole and Olivia Haberek. Mike is also survived by his siblings Sally Burdick, Jeanette Culligan, and Edmond and Eugene Najim.
Mike worked at Pfizer for over thirty-five years before retiring. He then continued to work locally at JCPenney, Walmart, McQuade’s, Ivory Ella, and the Ocean House until the age of 78. He was a lifelong member of the Westerly Fraternal Order of Police where he worked as a reserve for over forty years. You would most often find Mike working at the Atlantis, the Wreck, and the Blue Sands back in the day, and the stories he could tell were legendary.
Mike was a very faithful and devout Catholic. He never missed Sunday Mass and he lived his faith through a life of service to the community. Mike’s family would sometimes refer to him as a “Roaming Catholic” because you just never knew what parish he would attend for Sunday Mass. Sunday bulletins were plentiful at his house.
Mike was an avid New York Yankees and New York Giants fan. He could talk sports for hours but he would never give the Patriots or Red Sox the time of day.
Mike never missed any of his children’s or grandchildren’s sports or other activities. He could be seen at a Little League game one minute and a dance recital the next. Mike’s family meant the world to him.
Mike’s community service spans over many decades and organizations. He was a very well-respected resident of the town of Westerly and a devoted enthusiast of all local youth sports programs. He was so proud of each and every athlete he ever coached. He was one of the founding members of what is now known as the Westerly Youth Basketball League. He would spend hours and many endless nights and every Sunday at the Westerly High School gym. Mike served as president of Westerly Little League and was on the board of directors. He also ran the concession stand for more years than his family can remember.
Over the years Mike has been recognized and awarded for all his years, devotion and commitment to not only the youth sports of Westerly but also to the many organizations that he poured his heart into.
Mike had such a positive impact on so many lives over the years. If you are between the ages of twenty and sixty and you played sports, you most likely had “Coach Najim” at some point in your childhood. And if you played basketball, you were definitely told to “box out!” endlessly.
When Mike wasn’t working, coaching, or attending local events, he could be found at his favorite local coffee shops solving the world’s problems with all his coffee buddies.
Mike loved his family and friends beyond words and opened his house to all, especially in the summer when he loved hanging out on his deck and going in his pool and occasionally sipping his Tanqueray and tonic.
We would like to thank the entire staff, especially the second floor staff, at The Westerly Health Center for all their care and compassion they showed our dad over the last eighteen months. We know he wasn’t always easy but he was truly a gentle giant.
Visiting hours will be held on Sunday from 2pm-5pm at Gaffney-Dolan Funeral Home, 59 Spruce St., Westerly. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Pius X Church, 44 Elm St., Westerly on Monday at 10 am There is no procession to church from the funeral home. Burial will follow at St. Sebastian Cemetery, Westerly. In lieu of flowers please make a donation in Mike Najim’s memory to any local sports organization of your choice. For online condolences please visit www.gaffneydolanfuneralhome.com
Mike was born in Lawrence, MA. He was the son of Jabran and Eva Najim. Mike grew up in New London, CT and attended New London High School.
He met the love of his life, Gloria Curzio, on his twenty-first birthday at the Blue Sands in Misquamicut beach. They married five months later and were married for the next fifty-four years until Gloria’s passing in 2016.
Mike was a loving and devoted father to Debbie Beaulieu (Mark), Mary Ann Adamopoulos (Costa), Maureen Haberek, and Rev. Michael Najim. He was the loving “Jid” to Kevin and Stephanie Beaulieu and Nicole and Olivia Haberek. Mike is also survived by his siblings Sally Burdick, Jeanette Culligan, and Edmond and Eugene Najim.
Mike worked at Pfizer for over thirty-five years before retiring. He then continued to work locally at JCPenney, Walmart, McQuade’s, Ivory Ella, and the Ocean House until the age of 78. He was a lifelong member of the Westerly Fraternal Order of Police where he worked as a reserve for over forty years. You would most often find Mike working at the Atlantis, the Wreck, and the Blue Sands back in the day, and the stories he could tell were legendary.
Mike was a very faithful and devout Catholic. He never missed Sunday Mass and he lived his faith through a life of service to the community. Mike’s family would sometimes refer to him as a “Roaming Catholic” because you just never knew what parish he would attend for Sunday Mass. Sunday bulletins were plentiful at his house.
Mike was an avid New York Yankees and New York Giants fan. He could talk sports for hours but he would never give the Patriots or Red Sox the time of day.
Mike never missed any of his children’s or grandchildren’s sports or other activities. He could be seen at a Little League game one minute and a dance recital the next. Mike’s family meant the world to him.
Mike’s community service spans over many decades and organizations. He was a very well-respected resident of the town of Westerly and a devoted enthusiast of all local youth sports programs. He was so proud of each and every athlete he ever coached. He was one of the founding members of what is now known as the Westerly Youth Basketball League. He would spend hours and many endless nights and every Sunday at the Westerly High School gym. Mike served as president of Westerly Little League and was on the board of directors. He also ran the concession stand for more years than his family can remember.
Over the years Mike has been recognized and awarded for all his years, devotion and commitment to not only the youth sports of Westerly but also to the many organizations that he poured his heart into.
Mike had such a positive impact on so many lives over the years. If you are between the ages of twenty and sixty and you played sports, you most likely had “Coach Najim” at some point in your childhood. And if you played basketball, you were definitely told to “box out!” endlessly.
When Mike wasn’t working, coaching, or attending local events, he could be found at his favorite local coffee shops solving the world’s problems with all his coffee buddies.
Mike loved his family and friends beyond words and opened his house to all, especially in the summer when he loved hanging out on his deck and going in his pool and occasionally sipping his Tanqueray and tonic.
We would like to thank the entire staff, especially the second floor staff, at The Westerly Health Center for all their care and compassion they showed our dad over the last eighteen months. We know he wasn’t always easy but he was truly a gentle giant.
Visiting hours will be held on Sunday from 2pm-5pm at Gaffney-Dolan Funeral Home, 59 Spruce St., Westerly. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Pius X Church, 44 Elm St., Westerly on Monday at 10 am There is no procession to church from the funeral home. Burial will follow at St. Sebastian Cemetery, Westerly. In lieu of flowers please make a donation in Mike Najim’s memory to any local sports organization of your choice. For online condolences please visit www.gaffneydolanfuneralhome.com