James P. McCarvill

67, of Cranston, passed away on November 24th, 2020. Born in Wynnewood, PA he was a son of the late James P. and Margaret M. (Sherry) McCarvill.

James is survived by his loving daughters, Jayna McCarvill of Cranston and Leah McCarvill of Warwick; dear siblings, Margaret McCarvill-Amado of Cherry Hill, NJ, Tom McCarvill of Audubon, NJ and Mary DeStefano of Barrington, NJ. He was also the former husband of Kathleen McCarvill.

He was part of the team that opened the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority in 1993, and served as the Executive Director for decades.  Prior to his relocation to Rhode Island, he was the General Manager of the Philadelphia Convention Center and Miami Beach Convention Center. In addition to his participation in various convention center boards, he was Board Treasurer of the Providence Tourism Council and Chairman of the Twin River Advisory Committee. He was also recognized over the course of his career for his hard work and dedication. In 2018, he was the recipient of the Rhode Island Hospitality Association’s President’s Award. He was a beloved mentor and friend to anyone who had the pleasure of working alongside him.

James was a devoted Catholic and spent countless hours within the Church. He attended a seminary school and his faith continued for the rest of his life. His dedication to the Church was admired and he was appointed the position of Extraordinary Eucharistic Minister for Holy Apostles Catholic Church of Cranston, RI.

When Jim was not working, his passions of playing guitar, reading, and keeping up with the latest Villanova basketball news kept him busy. Despite playing a major part in the development of conventions and live events nationwide, he still found plenty of time to be a loving and supportive father to his daughters Leah and Jayna. Their fond memories of making music together, fishing, beach trips, and vacations to visit family in New Jersey will be remembered forever.

His funeral services will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his name may be made to the Holy Apostles Church, 800 Pippin Orchard Rd., Cranston, RI 02921.