Obituary

James:

James Russell Dominy, 71, of Chesterfield, VA passed away due to injuries sustained in an auto accident in Ohio on November 22, 2022. The accident also took the life of his beloved wife, Margaret.

James was born in Estherville, IA on November 21, 1951 to Russell and Mildred (Bosold) Dominy. He was raised on his family’s Century Farm in rural Iowa and never lost the groundedness that came from that upbringing. He graduated from Ringsted High School and attended Iowa State University for a year before enlisting in the U.S. Army. He served a tour of duty in Vietnam with distinction, earning a Bronze Star. Upon completion of his service, he enrolled at the University of Iowa, earning a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a master’s degree in Public Administration. He later earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He began his career in government service with the Department of the Army. He moved to the Department of Defense where he worked as a budget analyst until his retirement. Upon “retirement” he began working for the Institute for Defense Analyses where he was employed at the time of his death. James earned many awards throughout his educational, military, and professional careers including the Pace Award through the Department of the Army.

James and Margaret (Meiner) were married December 9, 1978 in Iowa City, IA. James and Margaret leave behind their two sons, Nathaniel Dominy and his wife, Rachel, of Richmond, VA and Jacob Dominy of Madison, WI. They are living testaments to their parents, exhibiting strength and grace in the aftermath of their parents’ deaths.

James is also survived by seven brothers and sisters: Anne Taschetta, Ames, IA; Mark (Margie) Dominy, Larchwood, IA; David (Theresa) Dominy, Estherville, IA; Rosemary (Kent) Crawford, Maquoketa, IA; Rebecca Dominy, Richmond, CA; Julie (David) Endres, St. Charles, IL; Patricia (Michael) Lehmkuhl, Dubuque, IA. He leaves behind 14 nieces and nephews, along with their spouses, and 23 great nieces and nephews. The youngest of these was born and named in the early morning of 11/22/22. He had been named James.

Included in James’ extended family is Margaret’s brother David Meiner of Dallas, TX and his daughter Claire (Meiner) Jacobson of Washington, DC.

James was predeceased by his parents, Russell and Mildred (Bosold) Dominy and his parents-in-law, James and Lois (Warden) Meiner.

James and Margaret were just beginning their retirement lives at the time of their deaths. They had built, decorated and landscaped their home in preparation for a life focused on enjoying that retirement. They had settled into their new community and were investing their time and personalities into it. James and Margaret had begun to work on their travel wish list, both nationally and internationally. James loved going off-highway to visit all types of niche museums and loved to tell of what he had found there. He also had a love for history, research, and reading which led him to work extensively on family genealogy. Above all, however, was their desire to spend their retirement years enjoying having time to spend with their sons, their cat Zoe, and each other.

Although James lost his life during the Thanksgiving season, his family gives thanks that he survived his Vietnam service and the terrorist attack on the Pentagon on 09/11/2001. They are grateful for the extra years granted to him and Margaret to raise their family, contribute to their communities through their work and friendships, and to pursue their personal interests. James was a man of intellect and accomplishment who lived his life with hard work and humility as his parents taught him on a farm in Iowa.

A memorial service in Virginia will be held on January 15th, 2023 at Morrissett Funeral Home in Richmond, Virginia. An inurnment at St. Jacob’s Cemetery in Graettinger, Iowa will be held at later dates. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Margaret’s name to the Red Cross or So Others Might Eat.

Margaret:

Margaret Lynn Dominy, 66, died suddenly in a fatal car crash November 22, 2022 while driving through Ohio. Her husband Jim was also killed in the accident. They were on their way to visit their son, Jacob, for Thanksgiving in Wisconsin.

Margaret was born to James and Lois (Warden) Meiner of Brookfield, Illinois on October 4, 1956. As a child she played the flute, loved animals, and was a National Merit Scholar. In 1974, she graduated from Riverside Brookfield High School, after which she attended the University of Iowa. During her time there, she belonged to the Delta Zeta sorority, met her future husband, and spent her summers in France, where her parents worked at the time. She graduated in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree in nursing, a field that she had wanted to pursue since childhood. She married the late James Russell Dominy on December 9th of that same year in Iowa City.

Together, Margaret and James lived in Illinois, Michigan, and Massachusetts before settling in Springfield, Virginia, where they then lived for more than thirty years. While there, Margaret earned a master’s degree in nursing from the Catholic University of America, worked as a nurse practitioner at Gallaudet University and National Hospital, and had two sons: Nathaniel James in 1987 and Jacob Russell in 1992. She retired from full-time nursing in 1996 to spend more time with them, but maintained a lifelong passion for medicine and service. She donated blood as often as was allowed, volunteered in her community, and was always involved with her sons’ activities, whether they were in the marching band or on the local swim team. She was an adoring, devoted mother and her sons’ greatest supporter in everything they did.

Margaret’s friends and family remember her as sweet, gentle, and caring. She nurtured each plant in her thoughtfully planned gardens by hand, and she was an avid cross stitcher who crafted hand-made gifts for the important people in her life. In her free time, she also loved reading mysteries and fantasies, watching musicals and movies from the Golden Age of Hollywood, and collecting Christmas decorations. Over the years, she amassed a large collection of caroler figures and other decorations and ornaments she intended to pass on to her children and, someday, grandchildren. She particularly loved the holidays because they were always spent in the spirit of giving, spending time with family, and enjoying life’s simple pleasures. Dark chocolate, tea, raspberries, and wine were among her favorites.

Margaret and James moved to Chesterfield, Virginia in 2018 with their recently adopted Siberian cat, Zoe. They built a house where they planned to grow old together while making friends in their new community and exploring nearby Richmond, where their son Nathaniel and his wife Rachel still live. Margaret delighted in maintaining an expansive garden and accenting her new house with her favorite color, Tiffany blue. Their intention was to spend the rest of their lives enjoying the peace and quiet of Chesterfield in each others’ company and traveling as much as they liked. They had recently realized her dream of seeing the tulips in Holland and hoped to soon return to France, where she spent so much formative time in her youth.

Shortly before their passing, she and James shared mimosas in a hot air balloon while witnessing the beautiful Virginia sunrise, James’ birthday gift to her.

Margaret is survived by her sons Nathaniel and Jacob Dominy, daughter-in-law Rachel (Follis) Dominy, brother David Meiner, and niece Claire (Meiner) Jacobson. On the Dominy side of the family, she also leaves behind 14 nieces and nephews, along with their spouses, and 23 great nieces and nephews. Margaret was predeceased by her parents, James and Lois (Warden) Meiner, and her parents-in-law, Russell and Mildred (Bosold) Dominy. She will be dearly missed by all.

A memorial service in Virginia will be held on January 15th, 2023 at Morrissett Funeral Home in Richmond, Virginia. An inurnment at St. Jacob’s Cemetery in Graettinger, Iowa will be held at later dates. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Margaret’s name to the Red Cross or So Others Might Eat.