Family man James Liistro mourned after shock heart attack death

A Wollert dad who was the “glue” for his family and friends has been remembered as the “common denominator for bringing people together”.

James Liistro has been remembered as a great dad after he died from a heart attack on October 3, 2024. Picture: Supplied.

A dad who was the “glue” for his family and friends has been remembered as the “common denominator for bringing people together”.

James Joseph Liistro died after a catastrophic heart attack a week ago.

Long time friend, Daniel Beronic said Mr Liistro filled many roles, including being a husband to Jacquie and a dad to Sebastian and Celeste.

“James was the glue to the family and to our friendships,” he said.

“For a wife to lose her partner and the father to two young children — it was a shock to everyone. There were no warning signs.”

Mr Liistro leaves behind wife Jacquie and kids Celeste and Sebastian. Picture: Supplied.

Born and raised in Melbourne, the 42-year-old ran a successful business transporting concrete trucks.

But his family and friends were his priority, Mr Beronic said.

The ‘Awesome Foursome’ were great friends. Picture: Supplied.

“He loved his kids and did everything for them,” he said.

“He was proud of his kids, proud of his family, and all of his friends.”

A proud dad, Mr Liistro loved spending time with his kids. Picture: Supplied.

Mr Beronic said the Essendon fan was the kind of person who always made sure everyone else was okay.

“If you rang James, there was an almost 100 per cent chance he would answer, no matter what he was doing,” he said.

“We were gathering at his mother’s house a couple of days after (his death) — a pouring of people coming in — and we said to ourselves ‘James would love this’, because whenever he was surrounded by family and friends, he was at his happiest. He was always the common denominator for bringing people together.”

Mr Liistro passed on his love for Essendon to his son Sebastian. Picture: Supplied.

Known as the ‘Walking Melways’, the Wollert local’s sharp recollection of events and dates gave rise to the saying ‘James will know’, Mr Beronic said.

Friendly to everyone, local cafes and restaurants have reached out to the Liistro family saying he was the “best”.

With Mr Liistro the main breadwinner, a GoFundMe has been set up to support the family with more than $16,000 already raised.