James was born in Spokane and was adopted from the Spokane Children's Home by Pauline and Cecil Fiorito in 1950. He was 1st chair clarinet in the Spokane All-City Band all through Junior High and High School and graduated from Lewis and Clark High School in 1964. He joined the Army in 1966 and became a member of the 214th army band. He left the Army and enrolled at Eastern Washington University in 1968 and graduated with a Music major and History minor 1972.

He married in 1970 and welcomed his cherished daughter in 1974. James daughter was a daddy's girl from the beginning, she was even born a week early on Apr 29th just so she could have an April birthday just like her father. James attended Harding School of the Bible in 1980 and graduated in 1982 and became an ordained minister. He had many occupations throughout the years ranging from custodian to bus driver to home health aide to elderly people. James favorite career was being a home health aide to elderly and terminally ill people.

James was an active member of the 161st Army National guard unit. While working as a home health aide James met the love of his life Eileen Salley. James married Eileen on Valentine's Day 2003. He was his own wedding band playing the clarinet and the piano for his wife as she walked down the aisle. Sadly the following September he laid his beloved wife to rest following complications with Multiple Sclerosis. James actively pursued his volunteer ministries for the homeless of Spokane and The Washington Department of Corrections ministering to incarcerated inmates. James favorite quote "No one is beyond God's Love." James above all was a Christian man with a passion for sharing The message of God's love to anyone and everyone he could reach he spent many hours working with homeless and destitute people to try to help them rise above their circumstances.

James is survived by His Daughter Inez Fiorito and his Grandson John Berger.