James Edward Dooley

1930 - 2021

James Edward Dooley

James Edward Dooley, 90, of Cullowhee, NC and Chattanooga, TN, died in Chattanooga on Wednesday, May 12, 2021. He was born in Chattanooga on October 5, 1930 to the late Flora Bobo Dooley and Harry Cylas Dooley.

James graduated from Tyner High School and the University of Chattanooga. He earned his graduate degrees in music at North Texas State College (now University of North Texas) and Florida State University. He served as Director of the Third Army Band Training Unit at Fort Jackson. Dr. Dooley served in the music departments of the University of Georgia and Western Carolina University (Cullowhee, NC). He also served as the minister of music in several churches in Chattanooga, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina. When he retired from Western Carolina University, he had served many years as the Vice Chancellor of Development and Special Services.

James met Barbara Wilson when they were classmates at East Brainerd Elementary School. They became sweethearts during high school and married on June 26, 1954. They have two daughters, Gail Dooley (Linda Wideman) of Chattanooga and Claire Clark (Robert) of Greensboro, NC. James and Barbara have three grandsons. Charles Reneau (Sarah Tiedemann) of Portland, OR, and Doug Reneau (Claire) of Beaverton, OR. Charles and Doug are both members of the Oregon Symphony Orchestra. His grandson, CPT Jimmy Clark (Virginia), serves in the US Army in The Old Guard, Arlington, VA.

James served his community through a number of activities such as serving on the Board of Directors and as Chairman of the Board of the Home Trust Bank (Clyde, NC), President of the Board of the Asheville Symphony Orchestra (NC), President of the Southern Division of the Music Educators National Conference, and as a deacon and committee member at Cullowhee Baptist Church (NC). He was the founder of the Western Carolina Community Chorus and served as its director for over 40 years. He was also a composer and arranger of choral music and a published author of articles about music education. In addition, he and his wife Barbara wrote Concord's First Century, a history of Concord Baptist Church (Chattanooga) and contributed chapters to The History of Jackson County, ed. Max Williams (NC) and The History of Cullowhee Baptist Church: Celebrating 190 Years, November 1821-2011, ed. Dianne Yount (NC).

James and Barbara loved traveling and traveled across the United States and to many countries around the world for leisure, for genealogy research, and leading choral concert tours. He was a gardener, a hiker, and a builder/handyman. They loved the mountains of the southeast; they had a mountain cabin in North Georgia while they lived in Georgia and then enjoyed living in the Western North Carolina mountains for over 50 years.

James is survived by his wife of 66 years, his daughters, grandsons, and several nieces and nephews.

A graveside service will be held at 2:30 PM on Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at Chattanooga National Cemetery with Dr. Jeffrey Vickery and Rev. Tonya Vickery officiating. A memorial service will be held at Cullowhee Baptist Church at a later date.

Memorial donations may be made in memory of James to: Cullowhee Baptist Church (148 Central Drive, Cullowhee, NC 28723); or the James Dooley Voice Music Scholarship Fund at https://give.wcu.edu/dooley. (Checks may be written to WCU - memo James Dooley Voice Music Scholarship - WCU Advancement Office, 1 University Drive, 201 Robinson Administration Building, Cullowhee, NC 28723.)

Please visit www.heritagechattanooga.com to share words of comfort to the family.