James Matthew Dody

James "Jim" Matthew Dody was born on September 6th, 1956 in Jersey City, NJ, and passed away on February 27th, 2026, in Bethlehem, PA. He was the son of Joseph Doody and Frances (Gerrity) Doody, and the best big brother to Florence (Doody) Barto, and Laura (Doody) Jozefowicz. He grew up primarily in Brooklyn, NY, and Old Bridge, NJ.

In his youth, Jim was a local lightweight champion boxer in New Jersey in 1973, with an amateur record of 19-3. Jim pursued a variety of athletic and fitness endeavors throughout his life and always encouraged those around him to stay fit to enjoy all life has to offer.

Jim graduated Madison Township High School in 1974. As a young adult, Jim was a small business owner, briefly running his own sub shop, My Hero Sandwich Shop, where he mastered the art of making the best sandwiches. Jim then started working at Pfizer-Quigley in 1979, which became Minerals Technologies, Inc. During his employment there, Jim graduated from Thomas Edison State College in 1994 with a B.S. in Environmental Science. Jim continued to work for Minerals Technologies, Inc. until his retirement in January 2021 as the Global Quality Assurance Director, where he was responsible for making sure all of his products met high standards of manufacturing and performance within the refractory industry. Jim loved the travel experiences he got with his job: going to Mexico, Brazil, Germany, Belgium, the UK, Ireland, Turkey, China, South Korea, and Japan. Jim was beloved by his colleagues for his dedication to excellence on the job, combined with a genuine leadership style that placed people first and inspired all around him from all walks of life. Jim also loved his coworkers and took great joy in the moments when he could ask "Do you have a second?" and go on to tell you a joke, a story about his family, or a picture of a fish he caught.

Jim was as loyal a friend as anyone could ask for. He loved keeping up with his high school friends, New York Jets friends, the wallyball guys, and everyone else he met along the way. He loved going fishing, going to football and baseball games, watching his favorite movies and tv shows and talking about them with everyone, watching the birds in his backyard, and just having good conversations. Jim could be serious and have a deep, fulfilling conversation with you, and he could also be light hearted and tell you an endless amount of stories just to make you laugh. Jim was a lifelong friend to all and always had time for his friends, especially when they were struggling. He never hesitated to be a guy you could vent to or offer a hand up however he could.

Jim was most proud of his family, having his first child, Anthony, in 1981. Jim then married Julie (Hebron) Dody on September 1st, 1990, and had four more children: Alison, Samantha, Thomas, and Amy. Jim was a dedicated son, nephew, father, godfather, uncle, brother, and eventually grandfather to everyone within his large family. He coached his kids' sports teams, took his kids to concerts, Mets and Jets games and fishing trips, always made time to go to recitals and sporting events, never hesitated to host holidays at his house, and gave the best advice to his kids at all stages of their lives. While raising his kids he developed a love of umpiring little league baseball, winning Umpire of the Year in 2010. Jim always made an effort to make commonplace things extra special for his children. He got his kids into the newspaper on several occasions, proudly showing his kids when it appeared in print, and saving the clips to preserve the memories. He had a great sense of humor that got the family to be finalists on an episode of America's Funniest Videos in 2009 when a squirrel got stuck in the chimney and Jim recorded his intrepid attempt to get it out.

Jim was a dedicated Christian throughout his life, setting a great example for all. He was an avid supporter of Catholic education, and a weekly churchgoer at Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Jim's process of sanctification included facing strong personal demons, but through his faith, complete surrender, and dedication to following Jesus Christ he overcame these challenges, repaired his relationships, and lived at peace with all. He was a Good Samaritan who recognized everyone he encountered as his neighbor and was truly a good and faithful servant of the Lord.

During every Mass the priest says "this is my body given up for you" when the Eucharist is being consecrated. As an organ donor, Jim humbly followed Christ's example by surrendering his earthly vessel to save multiple lives.

James Matthew Dody passed away on February 27th, 2026 at the age of 69 years old. Jim was predeceased by his parents. He is survived by Julie and his children Anthony (Cristina), Alison, Samantha (Mike), Thomas (Leslie), and Amy, his grandchildren Emma and Maya, his sisters Florence, and Laura, his godchildren Billy, and Sara Jane, and his many nieces and nephews. Jim will be most remembered for his strong moral compass, and the courage he had to do good when he felt the need to act.

A viewing for family and friends will be held on Wednesday, March 4, 2026 from 5-8:00 p.m. at Connell Funeral Home, 245 E. Broad St., Bethlehem, PA 18018. A Mass of Chrisitan Burial will be held on Thursday, March 5th at 11 AM at Our Lady of Perpetual Help at 3219 Santee Rd, Bethlehem, PA, 18020. Burial will conclude services at Holy Saviour Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to the Special Olympics, or St Jude's Children Hospital.