A well-liked bartender who had worked at restaurants here for over 50 years, James Francis Jensen, known as JJ, “wasn’t just a bartender who served you a drink and moved on to the next; he was a bartender who served kindness, laughter, and a smile to all who sat across from him,” his family wrote.
For 40 years, he was the friendly face behind the bar at the same spot on East Hampton’s Newtown Lane, first when it was the Grill and later when it became Cittanuova.
“It was from over the bar that JJ was truly at home, and showcased his knack for connecting with others and making a profound impact on each and every person he served,” his family said. He was unwaveringly upbeat and friendly and always had a smile on his face.
Mr. Jensen died in Riverhead on Sept. 22. He was 82 and had been in declining health.
A funeral Mass will be said tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. at the Basilica Parish of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in Southampton, with burial to follow at Sacred Hearts Cemetery. The family has invited people to toast Mr. Jensen at the Southampton Publick House tomorrow from 12:30 to 3 p.m. “If JJ ever served you a drink, told you a joke, or brought a smile to your face, please join us,” they wrote.
Mr. Jensen was born on Aug. 14, 1941, to Edward Jensen and the former Ann Cassidy. He grew up in Queens, and after high school went to work for Pan American Airways and then General Foods. He started working in the hospitality industry to make extra money on the side and was employed for nearly a decade at the Community Gardens, a famous Queens disco.
He moved to the East End in the 1980s to be closer to his grown children, and in 1989 he moved to North Sea.
Mr. Jensen is survived by his partner of nearly 35 years, Judy Gillian, and by his children: Lisa Fox and her husband, David, of Speonk, Peter Jensen of Fort Myers, Fla., and Jennifer Smith and her husband, Michael, of Ooltewah, Tenn. He leaves a brother, Ray Jensen, and his wife, Marge, and a sister, Mary Donnelly.
His surviving grandchildren are David Fox, Grayson Fox, and Delaney Smith of Speonk, Cassidy Fox and her wife, Victoria Fox, of Remsenburg, Finbar Smith of Jackson Hole, Wyo., and Olivia Mock and her husband, Austin, of Raleigh, N.C.
“JJ was a caring partner, brother, father, grandfather, and friend,” his family wrote. “Our JJ was the heart and soul of our family. He is going to be so deeply missed, but we promise to continue his legacy and live the ‘JJ way.’ ”
