James David Dougher

James David Dougher, 80, of Wagon Wheel Road, North Attleboro, passed away on unexpectedly on Tuesday, May 20, 2014 upon his arrival at Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro. He was the beloved husband of Margaret (Franklin) Dougher. Born in Archibald, Pennsylvania on July 22, 1933 he was the son of the late Hubert and Sarah (Moon) Dougher. He was raised and educated in New Jersey and graduated from St. Michael's High School in Newark, NJ and Rutgers University. An ardent and devoted student of the game of basketball, Jim had an extraordinarily successful coaching career at both the high school and collegiate level. Jim began his coaching career at St. Michael's High School in Newark, New Jersey, and then moved on Holy Trinity High School in Westfield, New Jersey. Jim went on to coach at Stonehill College in Easton, MA where he also served as Athletic Director, and from there to Holy Cross College, in Worcester, MA and URI in Kingston, RI. He was a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches for forty six years and throughout his coaching career he influenced hundreds of young athletes. After retiring from coaching, he joined, first Balfour and then Jostens and sold championship rings to all of his former colleagues. At the time of his death, he was still seeing that the championship teams got the perfect ring to recognize their achievement. But the most important thing to him were his children and all of those wonderful grandchildren. They were the love of his life. In addition to his wife of 18 years, he is survived by his former spouse Gail Dougher, as well as two children: Kevin Dougher and his wife, Donna, of Somorset, New Jersey and Jennifer Brauner and her husband, Jeff of Mendham, New Jersey; four stepchildren: Meg Nash of Northhampton; Ann Marie Gardner of Germantown, New York; Al Gardner and his wife, Lisa of North Attleboro and Kirsten O'Donnell and her husband, Jack, of Hingham; 7 grandchildren and 8 step-grandchildren; his beloved dog, Truman. Family and friends are cordially invited to attend visitation on Friday, May 23, 2014 from 5:00 - 8:00 PM in the "Memorial Chapel" of the Dyer-Lake Funeral Home - the national historic Colonel Obed Robinson Home, 161 Commonwealth Avenue (exit 5 off I-95 N or S, go right, mile on the left), Village of Attleboro Falls, North Attleboro. Children's room is available during the visitation and funeral. Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend the funeral on Saturday, May 24, 2014 at 8:30 AM from the "Memorial Chapel" of the Dyer-Lake Funeral Home - the national historic Colonel Obed Robinson Home, 161 Commonwealth Avenue (exit 5 off I-95 N or S, go right, mile on the left), Village of Attleboro Falls, North Attleboro followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 AM at Sacred Heart Church, Church Street, North Attleboro with the Rev. David A. Costa, officiating. Burial will follow in Mount Hope Cemetery and Arboretum, Mount Hope Street, North Attleboro. Following cemetery services an invitation will be extended to join the family for a time of continued fellowship and refreshments at a location to be announced. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Mr. Dougher's memory to the American Heart Association by accessing www.heart.org . For additional information or to send the family a written expression of sympathy, please visit an online guest book at www.dyer-lakefuneralhome.com . Arrangements are under the direction of the Dyer-Lake Funeral Home, 161 Commonwealth Avenue, Village of Attleboro Falls, North Attleboro. (508) 695-0200