James Dombeck

James Edward Dombeck died peacefully after a long illness, surrounded by family. He was predeceased by his father John Dombeck, mother Mary Kovach, and sister Joan Macpherson. He is survived by wife Mary-Therese; children Irene Dombeck (Steve Maybeck), Paul Dombeck (Tatiana Froes), and James Dombeck (Sarah Valle); grandchildren Nathan Kalvitis, Aaron Kalvitis, Nathaniel and Margot; Wendie Fennessy and many other beloved and devoted friends, relatives and caregivers. 

James was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1937. He moved around the country often during his childhood, staying with relatives whom he loved dearly, and attending public, Catholic, and military schools. He spent significant periods in California, Texas, Ohio, and the Washington, D.C. area. He enlisted in the military as a teenager, served in the United States Marine Corps and Army, and attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Physical injuries ended his military career and he was honorably discharged. 

James continued his college education at American University in Washington, D.C., and graduated in 1961. He married Mary-Therese later that year. They moved to New Orleans where James attended Tulane University Law School, and graduated in 1965. Early in his law career, he enjoyed his service with the Federal Trade Commission, a job that required extensive travel. Mary and the children would sometimes accompany him on the road. When the children began grade school, the family settled in the Rochester, New York area in the late 1960s, where James began his private law practice. 

During his life, James also expressed great interest in religious and spiritual issues which culminated in his earning a degree in Spirituality from the University of Toronto in 1980 and a Doctor of Ministry from Colgate Rochester Divinity School in 1985. 

By the late 1980s, James found what he considered to be his true calling, combining his backgrounds in law, arbitration, justice, and spirituality to earn an appointment at the Social Security Administration as an Administrative Law Judge. Before his retirement in 2011, he served in several SSA offices as well as on the Medicare Task Force. He was the Acting Chief Judge of the Buffalo Hearing Office for a number of years and played a key role in the founding and design of a separate Rochester Hearing Office where he also served as Acting Chief.

He pursued lifelong interests including spirituality, automobiles, trains, music, and literary writings. He enjoyed the beauty of New York’s Great Lakes region and his home in Brighton, NY with his beloved family and pets. He had a deep appreciation of and connection to the natural world and was gifted at connecting with animals, helping many suffering animals in need of care during his lifetime. He is remembered by those of us who love him as resilient, creative, inquisitive, gracious, and sharp-witted, making us laugh until the end. 

A memorial service will be held on April 12, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church/ 2000 Highland Ave./ Rochester, NY 14618. Donations in James' memory may be made to the VA Finger Lakes Health Care System, Canandaigua, Vet Center Rochester: https://www.pay.gov/public/form/start/46646309/