James Patrick Gilbride

CHARLTON – James Patrick “JP” Gilbride, 46, of Wamsutta Ridge Road, Charlton, MA, died unexpectedly on Thursday, September 3, 2026.

James loved his family fiercely and is survived by the love of his life—his wife of 20 years, Elisabeth J. (Prouty) Gilbride of Charlton; his mother, Nancy E. (Johnson) Gilbride of East Greenwich, RI; his father- and mother-in-law, Daniel M. and Marilyn R. Prouty of Charlton; his step brother, Ryan Percival and his wife Macayla of Westerly, RI; two step sisters, Victoria Butler and her husband Aaron of West Greenwich, RI, and Allison Walker of Saunderstown, RI; his sister-in-law, Michaela Prouty and her husband Bryan Coleman of Charlton; nieces and nephews: Mairead Coleman, Desmond and Preston Butler, and Maya and Brody Percival; his uncle and Godfather, Raymond Johnson and his wife Jane of East Greenwich, RI; his aunt and Godmother, Susan Essex and her husband Stewart of East Greenwich, RI; and many cousins. He was predeceased by his stepfather, Richard “Reece” Percival, III.

He was born in Warwick, RI, son of Nancy and the late Austin L. Gilbride Jr, and lived in East Greenwich and West Warwick, RI, before moving to Charlton 20 years ago. He graduated from St. Andrew’s High School in Barrington, RI, in 1998, and graduated from Meredith Manor International Equestrian Center in Waverly, WV, as a Certified Riding Master in 2002.

James was a project manager and real estate agent for Millyard Industrial Properties in Oxford, MA, for 20 years.

Despite living a short life, JP lived it to the fullest. He loved his Basset Hounds, and was a member of the Pilgrim Basset Hound Club and the Basset Hound Club of America. James’s enthusiasm for the outdoors was apparent, as he enjoyed running his hounds Guinevere and Jean Luc at field trials, was an avid fisherman, and enjoyed gardening and birdwatching. He loved vacationing on Bear Island in Lake Winnipesaukee, NH, where he would go boating, fishing, and hiking.

He adored riding and competing with his beloved horse, “Winnie,” in his youth. He had an ability to connect with animals, no matter their size, whether it was a rabbit, dog, or equine. He was also captivated by butterflies—one of his favorite memories while traveling was visiting the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory.

J.P. was inherently competitive and had made his dog show handling debut over the summer, where he easily triumphed over his opponents. He had great comic timing, and enjoyed laughing about how “you need to crack a lot of eggs before you can make an omelet.” Prior to this, he also enjoyed running; he participated in multiple full marathons including the Newport Marathon, Providence Marathon, Black Goose Marathon, and Memorial Day Races. Additionally, he completed many half marathons throughout his life. He also finished in the top three of his age group in numerous 5k events. J.P. was an extremely compassionate person who was always willing to help his family members and friends at a moment’s notice, offering his accomplished carpentry skills to them. His sparkling eyes and zest for life will never be forgotten by his friends and family members.

A private memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Pilgrim Basset Hound Club (memo: Fun FT or HT), ℅ Karen Caron, 101 ByPass 28, Derry, NH 03038; or to the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, 54 Portsmouth St., Concord, NH 03301.

Paradis-Givner Funeral Home in Oxford is directing the arrangements.