It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of James Beverly Dooley Jr., on May 22, 2026, in Lorton, Va., following a brief illness.
Born May 6, 1957, in Statesville, N.C., Jim was the son of the late James Beverly Dooley Sr. and Katherine Melcher Dooley, and the husband of Judy Yoon Dooley. Growing up in Statesville, Jim attended Trinity Episcopal Church. He was a member of the Boy Scouts of America, earning both his God and Country and Eagle Scout awards and attended the Philmont Scout Ranch, N.M. He was a 1975 graduate of Statesville Senior High and attended UNC-Charlotte, graduating in 1980 with a BSCE in Civil Engineering. Jim’s expansive career in the construction industry took him all over the country, and he eventually settled in the Washington, DC. .,area where he met and married the love of his life, Judy.
For the past 12 years, Jim has been Chief Scheduler for Aegis Project Controls, Washington, D.C. – Baltimore Area. Prior to this, Jim was a Scheduling Executive with Gilbane Building Company for 25 years. His projects include the United States Capitol Visitor Center, Fort Belvoir Community Hospital and the 1984 Louisiana World Fair Exposition, New Orleans.
Jim will be remembered as one who was fearless and loved adventure. If you shared life with Jim, you probably have a story to tell. He was an accomplished glider pilot, earned his private pilot’s license before graduating high school and was known to hop rides on cargo planes to unknown destinations. He loved being in the water and on the water and was a certified scuba diver, sailor, and Past Commodore of the Occoquan Yacht Club. If Jim wasn’t in the Tiki Hut by the pool, he and Judy could be found in their RV, backed up to the ocean or the mountains, watching the sun set, with his cherished dogs, Bailey and Daisy. Any time spent outdoors brought Jim joy as evidenced by his abundant garden and the sweet honey from his beehives.
Despite his love of adventure and travel, Jim was a hometown boy at heart. He was proud of his Statesville roots. He faithfully attended the Carolina Balloonfest and listened daily to the Statesville radio morning shows despite living in the Washington, D.C., area.
While Jim’s accomplishments are great, it is his heart that made him special. Nothing was more important to Jim than his family and friends. Jim loved deeply and he made sure you felt it. He was the first to reach out on good days or bad and was intentional about maintaining connection with the people in his life. He will be remembered for his willingness to help others, his overwhelming hospitality and his incredible ability to fix anything. He was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend and our lives were colored with adventure and love because of him.
In addition to his beautiful wife, Judy, Jim is survived by his children, Chanelle Dooley Gonzalez (Marco), of Woodacre, Calif., Alex Yoon of Alexandria, Va., and Christina Yoon Perez (Fernand) of Lorton, Va., and two adored grandsons, Ernie Gonzales and Lucas Perez. He will be missed by his siblings, Beverly Dooley Jones (Forrest) of Charleston, W.Va.; Robert “Bob” Dooley (Dedie) of Troutman, N.C.; Mary Katherine “Katie” Dooley Broadright of Westerville, Ohio, and a treasured aunt, nieces, nephews and cousins, as well as Judy’s extended family, whom he loved and considered his own.
The family extends their gratitude to the amazing staff who cared for Jim at Inova Fairfax Hospital, Fairfax, Va. A visitation will be held for friends and family in the Northern Virginia/Washington, DC., area on Thursday, May 28, from 6 to 8 p.pm at the home of Jim and Judy Dooley, 9352 Occoquan Overlook Drive, Lorton, Va. A graveside service for family and close friends will be held Saturday, May 30, 2026, at 3 p.m. at Oakwood Cemetery, Statesville, N.C. Friends and family are invited to join us as we celebrate Jim’s life afterwards at the home of Bob and Dedie Dooley, 245 Stillwater Road, Troutman, NC from 5 to 7 p.m.
May Jim’s words give us both comfort and direction. “I have done and seen so much in my life. I did find love and I have found happiness, along with moments I cherish. You are never too old to venture out and enjoy it because who knows what tomorrow holds.”
Troutman Funeral Home is serving the family of Jim Dooley.