James Dooley

James E. Dooley of Stevensville, MD, died at Corsica Hills Nursing Center in Centreville, MD. He was 84. Born on December 3, 1919 in Johnson City, TN, he was the son of the late, T. Floyd and Edna McQuiddy Dooley. In Johnson City, TN, he attended North Side Grammar School, Junior High School and Johnson City High School, graduating in 1937. He then attended college at the University of Tennessee 1937-1939 studying Mechanical Engineering, transferred to University of Cincinnati, 1939-1943 graduating with an Aeronautical Engineering degree. He took flying lessons and received a private pilot''s license in 1942. He worked as a cooperative student at the Glenn L. Martin Company, Baltimore, MD, 1940-1942. He attended Army Air Corps Officer Candidate School and upon graduation was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps Reserve. First Station was Wright AAF Base, Dayton, OH. He served with the 1072 guard Squadron for four months and three months with the Cold Weather Test Modification Center. He was sent overseas in March 1944 and was assigned to 68th Fighter Squadron and joined the Squadron as Assistant Engineering Officer. He was also assigned to the 347th Fighter Group T.E., as Assistant Technical Inspector. He returned from overseas November 1945 and was assigned to Wright AFB in the Aeronautical Laboratory researching aircraft performance and was placed on inactive duty in October 1946. He was a member of the 13th Jungle Air Force Veterans'' Association. After being relieved from active duty, he returned to Johnson City, TN and joined his father at the Johnson City Mills as an Assistant Superintendent for Production. This was a major change in his field of endeavor which lasted 5 years. His father had advised him the company would be sold and should seek other employment. He found employment at Lockheed Aircraft Company in Marietta, GA. He then left Lockheed to join Piasecki Helicopter Corporation in Morton, PA. After 6 months, he would leave and join Joseph Bancroft & Sons Co., Wilmington, DE as Assistant to the Chief Engineer. Two years later, the Chief Engineer died and he was appointed to his position. Due to company politics, he resigned in 1958 and moved on to Burlington Industries as Plant Engineer of the Wake Finishing Plant in Wake Forest, NC. He left Burlington Industries in 1960 and joined Fiber Industries, Inc., Shelby, NC as Engineering Manager. He would leave in 1963 to start his own engineering consulting practice, maintaining offices in Shelby, NC and Charlotte, NC. During this time, he decided to resume flying and with some associates, purchased three airplanes to facilitate getting to the various job sites in an easy fashion. The company (Dooley & Wallace, Inc.) operated as The Gaston Flying Service. We provided flight training, charter service, traffic reporting for a local radio station, aircraft service and maintenance. They were a dealer for the American Aviation Aircraft. He was president of the company and Terrie Wallace was the Vice President. They ceased operations in 1972 when James left North Carolina and returned to Baltimore to seek employment in that area. He later would work for the Bioquest Division of Beckton Dixon and would then move on to work for Sanders & Thomas, Inc., as Head of the mechanical Engineering Section of the Baltimore office. In 1976, he joined the firm of The Ralph M. Parsons Company, Washington, DC as a mechanical engineer working on various subway projects. In 1977, he moved to the Baltimore office working on the Baltimore-Washington International Airport project and the Baltimore Subway System. He was then sent to the Engineering Science Division of The Parsons Company to work on the Lower Potomac Pollution Control Plant. In all of those positions, he was either head of the mechanical or electrical sections of the projects. He retired from The Parsons Company in October 1984. When he retired, he went back to consulting as Dooley and Associates, Inc., practicing in the fields of Civil, Electrical, Structural, Mechanical Plumbing, Fire Protection, HVAC and Refrigeration Engineering. He practiced engineering until his death. In December 1998, he met his wife Annabelle and they were married on March 19, 1999. He had resided in Tower Gardens, Stevensville, from 1977 to 1999 and has lived in Cloverfield for the past 6 years. In addition to his wife, Annabelle Elliott Dooley (nee King), he is survived by a stepdaughter, Sharyn Slagle and husband Arnold J. Slagle of Stevensville, MD; one sister, Edna Silvers of Johnson City, TN; three grandchildren, Tracey Green of Beltsville, MD, Jeaneen Story of Middle River, MD, and Arnold Jay Slagle of Owings Mills, MD; two great-grandchildren, Lauren Green and Casey Green of Beltsville, MD and several nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be held at the Fellows, Helfenbein and Newnam Funeral Home, P. A., in Chester, MD, Friday, February 27, 2004 at 11 AM. Friends and family may call Thursday, February 26, 2004 from 3 to 5 PM and 7 to 9 PM. Interment will follow in All Saints Cemetery, Reisterstown, MD. Contributions may be made to: Kent Island Elks Lodge #2476, 2525 Romancoke Road, Stevensville, MD 21666 or Christ Episcopal Church Building Fund, 830 Romancoke Road, Stevensville, MD 21666.

James Dooley

February 23, 2004