Shrewsbury – James E. “Jim” Dowding, Jr.,73, of Shrewsbury, passed away peacefully on Sunday January 23, 2022 in the comfort of his own home with family by his side.
He leaves his beloved wife of 47 years, Kathleen “Kathy” (O’Malley) Dowding, of Shrewsbury; his children, Brad O. Dowding and his wife Amanda, of Stratham, NH, and Kelly J. Arial and her husband Creighton, of Hailey, ID; his grandchildren, Drake, Dylan, McKinna, and Alyse Arial, Alex and Elena Dowding; his siblings, Kathy Amacker, Pat Dowding and his wife Chris Cahill, and Chris Grow and her husband Mark, all of Illinois; along with niece, Desirae Dowding, nephew, Eric Dowding, and close friends, Don DeMent, Jim Mulcunry, Jim Stockwell, and his TJX extended family.
Born in Chicago and raised in Elmhurst, Jim was one of four children of the late James E. Dowding, Sr. and Carolyn M. (Maske) Dowding. He was a graduate of Elmhurst College, where he received his B.S. degree in Chemistry, and then received his PhD in Psychology from Loyola University.
Jim loved his career in consulting, especially being a partner of Nordli, Wilson Associates and retiring as Assistant Vice President of Global Talent Management from TJX.
Jim loved his family deeply and gave them his all. He had a wonderful sense of humor, which he carried with him til the end. Jim enjoyed many rounds of golf in Idaho with his daughter and son-in-law, carrying that passion back home to enjoy many more rounds with his dear friend Jim. He enjoyed deep intellectual conversations with his other buddy, Jim – oh, how grateful he was for his “Jim’s.” He had a great love for athletics and shared that fiercely with his grandchildren, attending events, and sharing his decades of knowledge. He would cut loose on ATVs with his son and family, sharing many laughs. Jim quickly embraced Kathy’s passion for the ski slopes and flew down the hill for decades with his family, and then with his grandchildren. Not only did the outdoors excite him, but he was also a lifelong student, enriching his mind with mathematics, philosophy, and science. Books and puzzles were a place of peacefulness for him. Jim thoroughly enjoyed his career at TJX and the friendships formed. He was a deep thinker.
Above all, Jim was the best dad and grandpa, and he made it abundantly clear how joyous those roles in life were to him. He will be deeply missed by those who were blessed to know and love him.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Veteran’s Inc., 69 Grove Street, Worcester, MA 01605 (www.veteransinc.org/).
Calling hours will be from 4:00-6:00 PM on Friday, January 28, 2022 at the BRITTON-SHREWSBURY FUNERAL HOME, 648 Main Street, Shrewsbury followed by a prayer service at 6:00 PM. Masks will kindly be required, per the Town of Shrewsbury’s current mandate. Burial will be held privately.
