James Dorsett
Longtime Christiansburg resident James H. Dorsett died Aug. 14, 2005, after an extended illness.
Jim, as he was known to family and friends, had three careers as minister, professor, and publisher. Throughout his life, he was committed to issues of social justice and social and community activism.
He is survived by two daughters, Meghan Helen Dorsett and Carol Lindstrom of Christiansburg; sister and brother-in-law, Jean and Robert Dodds of Amboy, Wash.; sisters-in-law, Lois Dorsett of Wichita, Cora Thiebaud of Covington, Wash., and Peg Dorsett of San Francisco, Calif.; stepsons, Frank and Robert White of North Carolina; and numerous nieces and nephews. Jim's family and friends will remember him fondly as a man who loved to read, surf the Internet, tell stories, and laugh.
Born Sept. 24, 1929, in Jefferson City, Mo., and raised in Coalstrip, Mont., Jim received a BA in English from Wichita City College (now Wichita State University) in 1951.
He married his college sweetheart, B. Helen Bennett, in 1953. The two shared a passion for railroad modeling, music, and politics.
He attended McCormick Seminary in Chicago and earned a bachelor's degree in divinity in 1954.
For the next several years, Jim served as a minister and mediator for the Board of Missions to rural communities in Montana and Missouri.
He had churches in Lewistown, Hilger, Whiplash, and Roy, Mont., and Otterville and Tipton, Mo.
In 1963, the couple moved to Columbia, Mo., so that Jim could return to school. He received a master's and doctorate in sociology from the University of Missouri in 1969.
Jim taught at Virginia Tech from 1969 to 1976, focusing on rural sociology and poverty, social theory, religion, and the history of social thought. Many of his students remained in contact with him and continued to be inspired in their own careers and lives by his teaching and example.
In 1976, Jim left the academy to form Dorsett Publications, an outgrowth of Jim and Helen's interest in scale modeling.
In 1963, Jim and Helen had founded Dorsett Miniatures; in 1964, they published the first "Cabinetmaker's Guide to Dollhouse Furniture," and in 1976, began publishing "The Scale Cabinetmaker," which was published for 22 years, until his retirement.
Jim and Helen bought the Christiansburg Depot in 1983. Their painstaking renovations allowed the depot to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. They subsequently renovated the Lee Building in 1988, and opened the Cambria Emporium the next year. In 1990, shortly after completion of these projects, Helen began a fierce struggle with cancer and died in August. Jim continued to publish TSC with the help of his daughter, Meghan.
In 1993, Jim's life was enriched when he married Mary Marye White.
In 1996, Jim retired from Dorsett Publications and ceased publication of TSC. Jim and Mary enjoyed several more years together before her death in 2000.
Jim continued to be active in community affairs. He served on the board of directors of the New River Valley AIDS Coalition, was active in starting a local chapter of Habitat for Humanity, chaired the witness committee of the Christiansburg Presbyterian Church, and was a longtime member of the Democratic party.
Throughout his life, Jim was committed to anti-poverty and anti-war programs and to working for civil rights, including gay/lesbian rights.
A memorial service was held at 4 p.m. Friday at the Christiansburg Presbyterian Church. A celebration of Jim's life was held at 5:30 p.m. at the Christiansburg Depot.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be sent to Habitat for Humanity or Blue Ridge Public Television or that those interested in honoring Jim's memory devote five hours of their time to a community project of their choice.
— Paid obituary
