By Andrea Zimmerman, Salesian Family SDB Delegate, and Denise Dunn, Provincial Coordinator, Salesian Cooperators – USA East

Editor’s Note: Many Cooperators and Salesian Family members will remember Salesian Cooperator Jim Dolan, a longtime active presence and leader in the Salesian mission in the Eastern USA. May he rest now in the feast of heaven with those who have gone before us.

Dear Salesian Family,

Today we pause to remember and pray for the soul of Jim Dolan, who passed away on Saturday, August 29.

We ask Our Lady Help of Christians and St. John Bosco to welcome him home and to comfort all who loved him.

Many in the Salesian Family know Jim and his wife, Paula, who were married for more than 50 years. Theirs was a holy, sacramental marriage lived out each day. Together, they served as Christian role models for all of us.

In addition to their vocation as husband and wife, Jim and Paula committed more than 25 years to living their vocation as Salesian Cooperators. They taught so many of us what it means to be part of the Salesian Family.

We all know of Jim’s adventurous spirit as he explored and traveled the world, with Paula always by his side. No matter which country they visited, they made it a priority to stop by a Salesian house. That is what family members do — they stay connected and united in mission and love.

When we think of Jim, we cannot separate him from Paula; their lives were so integrated, so fully centered on Christ and on the Salesian charism.

Jim’s leadership in the Salesian Family was steady and generous. He always went above and beyond in service. His roles included, but were not limited to, serving as the coordinator and formator of the local Salesian Cooperator center in Orange, N.J.; serving as provincial coordinator of the Eastern United States Province of the Salesian Cooperator Association for three terms; and serving as a member of the Interamerican Regional Advisory Council.

He was a mentor to many of us. Few Salesian Cooperators knew the rules, regulations, and structure of our vocation as well as Jim did, and he was always the “go-to person” for such details. He mentored countless Cooperators and never gave up on anyone. You always left a conversation with him feeling uplifted and encouraged to continue following God’s plan.

A father of four and a grandfather, Jim was gifted as a leader and formator in all things Salesian, and he had a truly compassionate heart.

He spent most of his career at Martin, Ottaway, van Hemmen & Dolan, Inc., a firm providing global maritime technical consulting services, including ship surveys, casualty investigations, vessel appraisals, and expert testimony in legal cases. Jim served as managing partner and president of the firm from 1993 to 2011, after which he became president emeritus. Before joining the firm, he spent more than 25 years with the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), overseeing worldwide classification services.

Read more about his professional career here.

Even amid his work in the shipping industry, Jim was always evangelizing in his own Salesian way, giving out Don Bosco coins to those he encountered. He never missed an opportunity to share the story of our beloved St. John Bosco and the charism he loved and lived every day.

Jim will be greatly missed. He leaves his mark on the many Cooperators he personally formed and on all who had the gift of knowing him.

Rest in peace, our beloved Salesian brother, Jim Dolan. Please be our advocate in heaven and continue to support our Salesian work here on earth.

Funeral arrangements will follow soon.

With love and gratitude for Jim Dolan’s life,

Andrea Zimmerman
Salesian Family SDB Delegate

Denise Dunn
Provincial Coordinator, Salesian Cooperators – USA East

September 2, 2026