James Dyal

1928 - 2018

Dyal, James
Jim Dyal was born on June 19, 1928 in Henryetta, Oklahoma. The adopted son of Winfield and Abigail Dyal, he graduated from Henryetta High School in 1946. He attended the University of Oklahoma, completing his degree in Psychology in 1950, and later received a PhD in Psychology from the University of Illinois. He was married to Earlene Russell for 18 years until 1968, and together they had two sons, Jack and Mark.
During his career, Jim held faculty positions at SMU and TCU and taught at UC Berkeley before accepting a position as Chairman of the Department of Psychology at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. At Waterloo he researched the biological foundations of memory, authored several textbooks on human psychology, and received numerous teaching awards from students and peers. There he met his wife Ruth, and they married in 1980. Jim and Ruth had twin sons, Jameson and Jonathan, and spent several years in Maryland before moving to Sarasota, Florida in 1995.
Jim loved being on the water and exploring the world by sailboat. He anchored at numerous ports of call in the Caribbean, including the U.S. Virgin Islands, and traveled throughout the South Pacific in the 1970's. He also sailed extensively throughout the Pacific Northwest and Canada. In 1983, he and Ruth spent a year sailing from the northernmost tip of Washington, down the coasts of California and Mexico, and finally through the Panama Canal to Florida. As his sons Jamie and Jon grew, Jim retired and spent his time volunteering with their school, sports teams, and academic clubs. He was a devoted father, and continued to travel the world with his family, visiting Europe, Africa, India, Japan, and SE Asia.
Jim was a deeply thoughtful man, a voracious reader, and a committed advocate for peace. Always optimistic, Jim sought to bring out the good in all people and worked for a world of tolerance and understanding. He will be loved and remembered for his kindness, warmth and wisdom.
Jim is survived by his wife Ruth, his sons Jack, Mark, Jamie and Jon, and his four grandchildren Jennifer, Nicholas, Christine, and Madison. Private services are planned for the late summer. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Psychologists for Social Responsibility.