Dooley, James J. 'Jim'

James J. “Jim” Dooley, 82, of Coralville, died Friday, Oct. 5, 2012, at Windmill Manor in Coralville. Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Iowa City. The Very Rev. Rudolph Juarez will officiate. Burial, with military honors, will follow at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Iowa City. Visitation will be Tuesday from 5 to 8 p.m. at Lensing Funeral Service in Iowa City, where a parish rosary will begin at 5 p.m. Following the committal service, the family will host a luncheon at The Kirkwood Room, 515 Kirkwood Ave., Iowa City (adjacent to Lensing Funeral Home).

Jim was born April 13, 1930, in Iowa City, the son of Patrick and Florence (O'Brien) Dooley. Raised in Iowa City, he graduated from St. Patrick's High School. Jim served in the U.S. Army from 1952 to 1954 as one of a three-man liaison unit between military and U.N. radio and television correspondents during the Korean War and was heavily involved in news coverage of the Panmunjom Truce negotiations and prisoner exchange. Upon returning to Iowa, Jim completed his bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Iowa in 1955. Also, while a student at Iowa, Jim was sports director at WSUI and broadcast Iowa football and basketball games.

Jim initially worked as a news reporter for WDAY in Fargo, N.D. He later established the Public Affairs Department at WCCO-TV in Minneapolis and worked as senior writer-producer at WTCA-TV Public Televsion in St. Paul, Minn., and Empire Photosound, Inc. in Edina, Minn.

As a freelance writer and director, Jim wrote and produced many films and scripts for the Minnesota Attorney General's Office, Honeywell Corporation and Univac Defense Systems.

In 1961, Jim received the George Foster Peabody Award for a 30-minute documentary entitled Unwed Mothers, which he wrote and directed.

Survivors include his brother and his wife, Michael and Jean Dooley of Charlottesville, Va.; a sister-in-law, Edna Dooley of Davenport; nieces, Ellen Corsiglia (John) of Davenport, Jane Clemons (Eldon Jackson) of San Jose, Calif., and Anne Dooley (Aaron Ferster) of Rockville, Md.; nephews, James J. Dooley (Maki Hishikawa) of Arlington, Va., Patrick Dooley (Mary) of Lawrence, Kan., Michael J. Dooley (Deborah) of Coralville, Terrence Dooley of Iowa City and Michael S. Dooley of Richmond, Va.; and several great- and great-great-nieces and nephews.

His parents and one brother, John “Jack” Dooley, preceded Jim in death.

Instead of flowers, those who wish to do so may contribute to a charity of their choice.

Online condolences may be directed to

Published Oct. 7, 2012 in The Gazette