1946-12-07- 2022-10-05
James “Jim” (aka Jimmy Boy, Jimmy Scars, Jimbo) Pizzo passed away peacefully on October 5, 2022 at the age of 75 in his home, surrounded by his loving family. His battle with a variety of health challenges over the last 11 years following a severe hemorrhagic stroke exemplified his courage, strength, and a fighting spirit that is almost impossible to comprehend.
Jim was born on December 7, 1946 in New York, NY to Dorothy Cozza and James Pizzo. From the earliest days he was a clever young man, and his mischievous antics landed him in the U.S. Navy in 1966, where he served on active duty for almost three years. After an honorable discharge, he began his pursuit of a career in finance, while at the same time earning a degree in Accounting from Pace University. His work ethic was unwavering and he had a never ending passion for financial markets. After a decade in New York City, he headed south to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It was here where he met the love of his life, Ellen, a sweet Jewish girl from Alabama who he won over with his Italian charm. They married on December 10, 1977 and began to grow their family with their son Dustin, before returning north to settle down in Greenwich, Connecticut. Eight years later they welcomed twin daughters, Alaria and Danielle. Jim built an impressive career on Wall Street, working at numerous firms before finally serving as a Managing Director and Equity Portfolio Strategist at Oppenheimer. In 1999 he founded his own hedge fund, Sensus LLC, which he managed until 2011.
Jim perpetually worked harder to be a better version of himself. He instilled that same drive in his children and taught them that you could achieve anything you wanted if you put in the hard work, whether it was a lofty career goal or six pack abs. At the same time, he was a true family man and prioritized this above all else, ensuring he was on the Metro North train in time for a home-cooked meal each night with his wife and kids. Jim’s big smile, playful sense of humor and propensity for storytelling was infectious to everyone he met, and he regaled us with stories of his time in the Navy or selling false lottery tickets to his neighbors as a teenager. Jim has left many inspiring and happy memories for those who knew and loved him that will last a lifetime.
Jim will be honored with a private Celebration of Life on October 22, and an interment at Arlington Cemetery to be held at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to The Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy Research Program at the Massachusetts General Hospital – https://www.angiopathy.org/support-us.
