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James B. Dugan
1947 - 2016 Obituary
James B. "Jim" Dugan, age 68, of Painted Post, passed away on Sunday, February 21, 2016 with his family by his side after a brave battle with cancer. He was born on July 26, 1947 in Corning, the son of the late James E. and the late Genevieve (Wenderlich) Dugan. He married Charlotte M. Brion on January 17, 1970 in Corning.
A 1965 graduate of Corning East High School, Jim excelled as an athlete in the first Track and Field and Cross Country teams of the school, later being inducted into the Corning Painted Post Sports Hall of Fame in March, 2010. Jim went on to earn degrees from Corning Community College and Slippery Rock State College. He was employed by Corning Community College as an Analyst in IT Support. A jack of all trades and a master of puns, Jim enjoyed educating others on the fine art of beer tasting.
Jim was an active member of his community, serving as President of the Corning Lions Club and earning the Robert J. Uplinger Distinguished Service Award. He also was a Melvin Jones Fellow. Most importantly, he felt his best award was being the father to his children and Bampa to his three grandsons.
He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Charlotte; daughter Cory (Rich Pulver) of Clifton Park, NY; son Patrick (Erin Lanahan) of Rexford, NY; grandsons Braiden and Mason Pulver and Timothy Dugan; sisters Patricia Dugan (Roy Ernst), Judy (Les) Echols, and Joan (Jim) Wilson; brother William Dugan; sisters-in-law Karen (Jerry) Purtell and Shirley Waldrep; nieces and nephews Stacy Vacca, Jennifer Echols, Erin Echols (Sam Rankin), Tracy (Steven) Halliday, and Tyler Brion; and great-niece Scarlett Rankin. He was predeceased by two brothers, John Dugan and Daniel Dugan; brothers-in-law Russell Brion, Neil Waldrep, and John Vacca; nephew Kevin Purtell; and niece Stephanie Vacca.
Family and friends are invited to call at Phillips Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 17 W. Pulteney St., Corning, on Saturday, February 27, 2016 from 2:00 to 3:30 pm. A prayer service will follow there at 3:30pm. All are invited to continue celebrating Jim's life by gathering at the Central for dinner and one final beer tasting.
Flowers will be provided by the family. Donations may be made to the Corning Lions Club Foundation, PO Box 1096, Corning, NY 14830. Published in The Corning Leader on Feb. 24, 2016
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Mary Jo Castellana (Mattison)
PLANS UNDERWAY TO ESTABLISH COMFORT CARE HOME IN CORNING AREA
The Dugan family of Corning, in loving memory of Jim Dugan, has been exploring what other towns have done to set up alternative end-of-life care options in their communities. Several smaller towns have established a comfort care home model, but the closest one to Corning is 45 minutes from town. The Corning area needs its own home where its residents can find end-of-life care in a nearby, non-institutional setting, surrounded by dedicated loving caregivers 24 hours a day.
A Comfort Care Home is defined, by law, as a home with two private bedrooms, where a person who has three months or less to live can go when neither their own home nor a nursing home are good options for them. Hospice care is provided to the residents by CareFirst, the provider for Steuben, Chemung and Schuyler counties and all other care is provided mostly by trained volunteers. The Dugans hope to find either an existing home that could be retrofitted or land where they can build a beautiful home that will serve the community for many years to come.
Comfort Care Homes are fully supported by the community with many volunteers, donations, fundraising events, corporate sponsorships, memorials, and bequests. There is no cost to the resident. They have few paid employees beyond a full-time director, volunteer coordinator, and fundraising coordinator. Volunteers who wish to be caregivers are fully trained by professionals, and there are also many other volunteer opportunities for those wishing to give in other ways such as gardening, lawn care, cooking, cleaning, office work and more.
The first step for the family was to file with the IRS to become a tax-exempt not-for-profit 501(3)c corporation, elect a board, establish bylaws, and other NY state requirements. All this paperwork has been submitted. While awaiting approval, their next steps are to raise awareness in the community and hopefully learn of any potential existing homes that might be retrofitted or potential land sites where a new home could be built. The home will be called Corning Comfort Care and/or Bampa’s House (Bampa was a nickname given to Jim by his grandchildren).
Several community leaders have already acknowledged the need and expressed their support. Corning Lions Club, where Jim was a past president, is a strong partner with the Dugan family and will be helping them with fund-raising activities. Meantime, donations are now being accepted and anyone can easily do so by writing a check to the Corning NY Lions Foundation, P.O. Box 1096, Corning, NY 14830 and designating it for “Bampa’s House”. If you have any information regarding potential land sites or homes, please contact Joan Dugan Wilson, Board President, at 607.742.8562.