James D'Ambrisi

James John D’Ambrisi passed away on Monday, November 25, 2024, at his home surrounded by family after battling kidney cancer for five years. He was 67.

Jim was born in Camden, New Jersey to Joseph Vincent D’Ambrisi and Frances Margaret Farrell on New Year’s Day, 1957. Growing up, Jim’s family relocated frequently following his father’s career promotions. These moves took him to New York, California, New Jersey, Illinois, and Connecticut. Claiming to be shy in his youth - a trait that didn’t stick into adulthood - Jim always used sports and outdoor adventure to assimilate himself in his new environment. Jim attended Joliet West High School in Illinois and then spent his senior year at Staples High School in Connecticut where he graduated. 

Jim received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Northwestern University. At Northwestern, Jim made the football team as a walk-on and worked his way up the depth chart to start games as a safety for the Wildcats. Later, Jim returned to Northwestern to earn a master’s in business administration. 

After college, Jim attended a Northwestern tailgate with former teammates and fraternity friends where he first met his wife of 38 years, Karen. They married a few years later and then lived in Illinois, Virginia, and Minnesota before settling down in Brookfield, Wisconsin where they have lived for the past 28 years. 

Intelligent and sociable, Jim began working as a chemical engineer but soon transitioned to various managerial roles in oil and gas followed by manufacturing. A leader and self-starter, in 2005 he co-founded FabriFast, a metal fabricator, and was able to grow the company from a two-person operation to a forty-plus person company. FabriFast was simultaneously a challenging business and family for Jim. While the success of FabriFast was a great achievement, Jim would say the biggest achievement was being able to continuously have fun at work for 16 consecutive years while developing lasting friendships with those who worked there.

Jim was active in every sense of the word and had a knack for making friends everywhere he went. Many note and will remember Jim’s kindness to strangers and his appreciation for good conversation. Jim was a longstanding member of the board of trustees at University Lake School and was on numerous boards at First Congregational Church of Wauwatosa. In addition, he took great joy in coaching his sons’ sports teams and was dedicated to supporting his sons in all their passions. His sons participated in Jim’s passions as well, including spotting for him during early morning waterskiing on Okauchee Lake. Later in life, Jim became an avid fly fisherman. Jim loved nothing more than being immersed in the nature of the Rocky Mountains while fishing with friends or family on a river full of trout. Jim also loved his early morning health club crew and was proud of his ability to do 13 pullups in his sixties, “real pullups”, as he would say.

Jim cherished spending time with his family, especially on holidays and at reunions. Often, you could find him at the grill crafting perfect steaks or salmon, even braving Wisconsin winters to make meals special for his loved ones. Jim was preceded in death by his father, Joseph. He is survived by his mother Frances, wife Karen (née Beutler), his two children, Jeffrey (Catalina) and David, his brothers Joseph (Doris) and Michael (Monica), his sister Mary (James) and many loved nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews. A memorial service will be held at 1 pm on December 14th at First Congregational Church of Wauwatosa. Donations in Jim’s honor may be made to the Seacoast Science Center, the Western Rivers Conservancy, or a charity of your choosing.