James Paul “Jim” Dealy, 92, a born Dec. 18, 1916 in Fairhope Dec. 18, 1916, died peacefully Saturday, June 20, 2009 at his Fairhope home.
He was a veteran of the Army Air Corps during World War II, and was awarded a Purple Heart and the Air Medal. He was the eldest of the "Five Fighting Dealy" brothers, all in the Air Corps, and one of the four brothers who were shot down over enemy territory and survived to return home. Mr. Dealy was an active member of the 316th Fighter Squadron which holds annual reunions throughout the U.S.
He graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1951 and worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from that time until his retirement in 1974. His last accomplishment for the Corps was as acting head engineer in the construction of the J. Percy Priest Dam in Nashville, TN. On retiring, he and his beloved wife Lois returned to the Eastern Shore where they were kept busy with the Revelers, the Fairhope Yacht Club, "Save Our Bay" conservation group, golfing, and entertaining their many friends, both local and from all across the country.
He generously shared his family’s photo album of early Fairhope to be published during Fairhope's centennial celebration. The pictures were published in the "Fairhope Keepsake Edition" of the Mobile Bay Monthly, and many of them can be seen in the new E.R. waiting room at Thomas Hospital.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Lois Jowers Dealy; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. William A. “Bill” and Myrtle” Dealy Sr., three brothers, Art, Jack (Jack's wife, Kitty), and Bob (Bob's wife, Ruth); sister Alice Dealy Goranson and her husband; sister-in-law, Maxine (Macky) Jowers Frederick; and his nephew, James Paul Dealy II.
Survivors include a brother, William A. “Bill” (Louise) Dealy Jr. of Hendersonville, N.C.; nieces, Nancye Dealy (Bart III) Jennings of Fairhope, Cathy Dealy (Sam) Cowan of Nashville, Tenn., Diane Dealy (Rick) Bolton of Columbia, Tenn., Patti Lou Dealy (Michael) Banks of Royal Palm Beach, Fla., and Gayla Dealy (Wayne) Gentry of Raleigh, N.C.; nephews; W.A. “Bill” (Linda) Dealy III of Lilburn, Ga., David M. (Sue) Dealy of Franklin, Tenn., Harvey (Kay) Goranson Jr. of Knoxville, Tenn., and Dan (Linda) Dealy of Daphne; brother-in-law Col. Paul Frederick of Fairhope; niece Jan Frederick (John) Reddy of Fairhope and Nineveh, Ind.; 23 grand nieces and grand and 19 great-grand nieces and great-grand nephews.
A memorial celebration will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, July 11 at Dahlgren Hall on the Fairhope Faulkner State campus. Private family burial services will be held.
The family requests memorial donations be made to the School of Organic Education or the American Cancer Society.
Arrangements are by Wolfe-Bayview Funeral Homes & Crematory Inc., Fairhope.
