James Darwin Groninger passed peacefully on March 3, 2019 after suffering a heart attack.
Jim was born on June 10, 1941 in Port Royal, Pennsylvania to his parents Carolyn (Trucks) and Darwin Groninger. He and his 3 siblings grew up in Middle River, MD. After high school, Jim enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1958. He was so proud to be a Marine and served at many bases including Pearl Harbor, Hawaii as a Military Policeman. After his discharge in 1963, he attended the University of Maryland for a short spell. He worked for Bethlehem Steel for 31 years. During this time he coached High School Softball, he played indoor and outdoor soccer, and he umpired both fast-pitch and slow-pitch softball for 43 years. He loved umpiring and the camaraderie with the players and other Umpires.
Jim was inducted in the Maryland Slow-Pitch Hall of Fame in 2009, and the Anne Arundel County Senior Softball Hall of Fame in 2009. He also loved to play golf.
Parkinson's Disease and others didn't stop Jim. He loved people and could sit and talk with you all day! He loved the Men's Group at Einstein Bagels on Wednesday mornings and the wonderful friends he made there.
Jim is survived by his fiancée of 23 years, Janice Huss and her brother, Jeff Atkinson, and their dog Bubbles. He is also survived by his sister, Kay Elizabeth Sauvageot (Robert), of Bel Air, MD; his brother, Donald Murray Groninger (Maryann) of Minnesota, and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and by his sister, Dorothy Eileen Primavera.

He will be missed for his humor and strength exhibited throughout his life, Rest in Peace, Marine.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, March 7, 2019 from 1:00pm-4:00pm with a 4:00pm funeral service at Barranco and Sons, P.A. Severna Park Funeral Home, 495 Ritchie Highway, Severna Park, MD 21146. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of the Chesapeake, the Ronald McDonald House in Baltimore, or the SPCA of Anne Arundel County at the following links:

https://www.hospicechesapeake.org/giving/donate-now/

https://rmhcmaryland.org/ways-to-give/dedication-honor-donations/

https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/AACSPCA

or checks may be mailed to: Hospice of the Chesapeake, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena, MD 21122, the SPCA of Anne Arundel County, 1815 Bay Ridge Ave., Annapolis, MD, 21403, and the Ronald McDonald House, 635 W. Lexington Street, Baltimore, MD 21201.