The Leechburg Area community is in mourning after the death of school board member James “Jim” Dunmire.
Dunmire, 66, of Gilpin, died March 22. He was a member of the school board since the summer of 2023. A cause of death was not immediately known.
Dunmire was known for his ability to pull people into conversations.
“I’ll never forget the first time I met Jim, I was playing trivia at the Portage Inn and he was there eating chicken wings. We got to talking, and I don’t think we stopped for at least an hour after that,” said school board member Andrew Pallus. “We immediately clicked and talked about anything and everything — history, politics, travel and above all day-trading. He always knew how to keep the conversation going.”
Other board members recalled similar “good talks.”
“We had (thousands) of what he used to call ‘good talks’ about the world, life and everything in between,” said board member Anthony Townsend.
Townsend was friends with Dunmire for nearly 20 years. He described Dunmire as a good man that loved God, his family and his country.
“Jim was one of the most genuine, kind and caring people I’ve ever known,” said board president Ashley Coudriet. “He was always right there to help anyone who was blessed to have him as a friend.”
Dunmire previously told TribLive he decided to run for the school board in an attempt to “uphold fair and conservative family values.”
He is remembered by those he worked on the board with as a genuine person who always thought of the students first.
“He was always the one to think outside of the box and figure out how to get the best for the kids,” said Superintendent Dave Keibler. “He wanted to meet the needs of each child and considered their individual needs.”
Dunmire was a graduate of Kiski Area High School and of the Westmoreland Community College Culinary Arts program. He received his Journeyman papers from Northern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center in New Kensington.
He worked as a precision grinder and previously co-owned J.D.’s Roadhouse in New Kensington.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Dunmire’s name to the American Heart Association.
“I miss my friend,” Townsend said.
