Final Salute

James M. Dougherty, a proud veteran of the U.S. Navy, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on October 26, 2023 in Naples, FL at the age of 81.

Jim was born June 27, 1942 to the late John F. Dougherty and Sara (Friel) in Philadelphia, PA. He attended Villanova University, where he earned a B.S. in electrical engineering in 1964, and while a member of the U.S. Navy, attended the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he earned an M.S. in civil engineering in 1973.

Jim completed Officer’s Training School and received his commission in July 1966. He served in the U.S. Navy for 23 years, from 1966 to 1989, attaining the rank of Captain. His service included duty in Vietnam as an officer in the Naval Construction Battalion, better known as the Seabees, and assignments at Naval Station Rota in Spain and the Office of Naval Operations. Jim was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal with Combat Valor, the National Defense Medal, and the Vietnam Service Medal. He was respected and loved by those he led; upon learning of his passing, one of his former sailors posted, “We loved that man. He was like a father to hundreds of us.”

Following his naval service, Jim worked as a facilities and construction consultant, including at the University of Delaware, and as an independent military professional.

Jim was beloved by his family and friends and will be remembered as a man of service, integrity, and character. Anyone who knew Jim knew how much he loved his family, how proud he was of his service to his country, and how passionate he was about Villanova and its basketball team. He was kind, generous, humble, dependable, and precise in all that he did, fitting of a Navy man. Jim had a strong, steady presence and flashed a wry, quick wit. He was a man of faith, never missing Saturday vigil Mass or early Sunday Mass, and he gave to countless charities. Jim was always eager to help and serve others; he was the president of his homeowners association for years and could repair or build just about anything. He enjoyed golf, the mementos and house furnishings he collected in his travels, and Thanksgivings in Fox Chase.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents, John and Sara, brother Jack, sister Anne Jane Haviland and her husband John, niece Sister Denise Haviland, OP, and nephew Stephen Haviland. He is survived by his sister, Kathryn Lynn and her husband Jim, sister-in-law Joanne Dougherty, and 16 nieces and nephews and numerous great nieces and nephews.

Services: Visitation will be at Fuller Funeral Home, 1625 Pine Ridge Rd, Naples, FL, October 30, 2023 from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. A funeral Mass will take place October 31, 2023 at St. William Catholic Church, 601 Seagate Dr, Naples, FL, at 10:00 a.m.; a visitation at 9:00 a.m. at St. William will precede the funeral Mass. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Jim’s name may be made to the Seabee Memorial Scholarship Association or the Sisters of Saint Dominic. Jim’s final resting place will be at Arlington National Cemetery; details for the service at Arlington will follow and be shared with family and friends.