James England Dyer

PORTLAND – James England Dyer, 87, died on July 3, 2025. Jim was born Dec. 6, 1937. One of his earliest memories was going on a family drive the day after his fourth birthday. A gas station attendant saw his father in uniform and said, “You have to get back to your base, Pearl Harbor has been attacked!”

Jim spent most of his childhood in West Lebanon, N.H., and always considered it home. After attending the University of New Hampshire, he enlisted in the Coast Guard where he served on the USCGC Casco and patrolled the Caribbean during the Cuban Missile Crisis. On shore leave in Boston he happened to bump into a girl from his hometown, Sandra Mitchell, who invited him home for spaghetti. They were married in 1964, raised two children in Vermont, then spent their later years in Portland. She was his Princess, and they lived their love story until she died in 2022.

He was a loving father who always tried to be there for the important things, even if it meant showing up in uniform and standing in the back of the school gym or auditorium so he could get back to work quickly. He instilled in his children a strong sense of duty to family and community. He adored his grandchildren, who called him “Nice Guy.” He was kind, strongly principled, and frequently hilarious.

Jim was a Vermont State Trooper for 20 years. He had two nicknames: “Gentleman Jim” for his unfailing courtesy, and “Crash” due to the short life expectancy of his police cruisers. His weapon of choice was a large steel flashlight he called “the attitude adjuster.” He was a cop for all the right reasons: the kind of guy who would assist at an accident on his day off and take personal custody of a young mother in jail so that she could be with her baby in his home. After retiring from the police, he drove buses for Vermont Transit, then ran the Greyhound station in Portland. His passengers sent him letters thanking him for being such a friendly and helpful driver.

Jim had a beautiful voice and sang tenor in church choirs his whole life. His rendition of “Oh Holy Night” could bring a church full of stoic Congregationalists to tears. He was a Mason in good standing for 66 years, and that’s all we know about that. He enjoyed vigorous walks to stay fit and healthy well into his seventies. He loved all dogs, a couple of cats, and vehicles that go fast: he had a boat on Sebago Lake, a Camaro T-top for the summers, and his idea of fun after church was to drive up to the airport and watch planes take off. Once he finally retired for keeps, he and Sandy enjoyed taking cruises and travelling.

Jim is celebrated and missed by his children, Elizabeth and Jonathan, their spouses Sean and Katherine; his grandchildren Sarah, Jordan and Sariah; his sister, Faith and her husband John, sister-in-law, Nancy and her husband Bob; and many nieces, nephews; friends, and neighbors.

He was predeceased by his beloved wife, Sandra; sister-in-law, Cynthia and her husband Donald, and sister, Mary and her husband Alden.

The family would like to thank The Enclave of Scarborough and The Hospice of Southern Maine for their kind and loving care. A service will be planned for the fall.