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JAMES DWYER Obituary
Age 85, of Alexandria, Virginia, passed away Monday, February 11, 2019. Originally from New York City, Dwyer lived in Wexford for 36 years before moving to the Washington, D.C., area in 2016. A graduate of Manhattan College, he worked as a civil engineer for the American Bridge Division of U.S. Steel, and the Port Authority of Allegheny County for almost 50 years. He was preceded in death by Patricia Anne, his wife of 43 years. He is survived by his children: daughters Kathleen, of Boston; Patricia, of Carol Stream, Illinois; and sons Kevin and Brian, of Alexandria, Virginia; and Robert of Arlington, Virginia; and ten grandchildren. The family will receive friends on Tuesday, February 19 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at GEORGE A. THOMA FUNERAL HOME, INC., 10418 Perry Highway, Wexford. Funeral Mass will be held on Wednesday, February 20, 2019, at 10 a.m. at Saint Alexis Catholic Church, Wexford, followed by burial at Holy Savior Cemetery in Gibsonia. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to the Engineers Society of Western Pennsylvania Scholarship Fund. To donate, please go to https://eswp.com /eswp-payments/ and include "Donation to Scholarship Fund in honor of Jim Dwyer."
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John DeAngelis
February 19, 2019
I had the pleasure of working for/with Jim at Port Authority, a good boss and a nice person. My condolences to all of his family and friends.
Don Eadie
February 18, 2019
Jim was a kind and gentle person, and always a pleasure to meet. He was extremely knowledgeable in railway engineering and practice.
He was also a pioneer at the Port Authority. Jim was the first person to introduce wayside top of rail friction control on any railway in North America, to deal with critical noise issues. This led to many other railways adopting this technology, including New York City, Los Angeles. London Underground and Tokyo Metro. But Jim was first.
His willingness to innovate will be sorely missed.
Don Eadie
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Teever Handal
February 18, 2019
I was blessed to have been able to do some work with Jim. He was always a vibrant man both knowledgeable and inquisitive. What I remember and treasure most about Jim were the stories of the rail industry, his life, and of his children. He was especially proud of his children. My prayers are with his family.
Jim attending WRI
February 17, 2019
I was very fortunate to have met Jim around 1990 when we were starting our company. Over the past 29 years we spent many, many hours sharing stories together about our current work in the railway and transit industries, along with some great visits over the years. It was a pleasure to talk with someone who had such an abundance of energy to discuss how technology could be applied to the rail industry to help optimize performance and safety!
Jim was so passionate about his career in bridges and transit (especially light rail in Pittsburgh), which was only superseded by how proud he was of his wife and children.
One annual event that Jim tried hard not to miss was our annual WRI (Wheel Rail Interaction) Conference. I'm not sure how many he attended, but it quite a few. He loved interacting with many of the people who attended and speakers who presented. Jim was a great asset to have in the audience with his good questions and comments.
Jim deserves to be classified as a pioneer due to the significant progress he made in Pittsburgh (Port Authority) in his efforts to introduce new, state-of-the-art top of rail lubrication (friction modifier) technology used to help reduce noise and increase rail life. It was nothing short of a "home run."
We will miss Jim greatly! His family should be very proud of how successful he was, not only in his career, but in his dedication to his family.
As part of our 25th WRI anniversary event this year in June, we will have a nice dedication to Jim.
Bill Millar
February 16, 2019
I had the privilege of working with many fine men and women during my 19 years at Port Authority, but none finer than Jim Dwyer. He was smart, creative and always willing take on new challenges. He was a good family man who always had great stories about his kids. May Jim rest in peace and his family remember all the good he did in this world.
February 15, 2019
Sending condolences to all the family may all find some comfort hope and peace. PJW
Mike Scanlon
February 15, 2019
To the Family & Friends of Jim Dwyer,
So sorry to hear of Jim's passing. Just a few days ago, I spoke of him with Bill Millar and wondered about his health. It was my privilege to work with Jim at Port Authority. He was a an extraordinarily talented engineer, a consummate professional and a true friend. We stayed in touch by phone after I moved away from Pittsburgh more than 25 years ago. My prayers are with him and all of you.
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10418 Perry Hwy, Wexford, PA 15090
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