The entire Prep community mourns the passing of Jim Dondero, ’66, P’00. Please pray for the soul of Jim and his family. Jim’s career at Prep spanned from 1988 to 2022, in which he served as Director of Guidance and College Placement for fourteen years, moderator of Prep’s Ebony Club, Director of eighteen Prep musicals and eight Dramatics productions, Student Council Advisor, and founding member of the Prep Alumni Board. Jim was also inducted into the Legends of Prep in 2022. Jim is the father of Mark Dondero, ’00.
Read Jim’s Legends of Prep biography below.
For over forty years, two names have dominated Prep’s Guidance and College Placement Department. The first, Fr. Ray Balduf, S.J., was honored as a Legend of Prep in 1999. The other was Jim Dondero, who fittingly looked up to Fr. Balduf as a mentor.
A proud alumnus of the Class of 1966, Jim returned to Grand and Warren in 1988 as a guidance counselor. Throughout his career, Jim’s ties to Prep as an alumnus were bolstered by his impactful leadership roles, which include serving as Director of Guidance and College Placement for fourteen years, moderator of Prep’s Ebony Club for eighteen years, director of eighteen Prep musicals and eight Dramatics productions, advisor of Prep’s Student Council for eight years, advisor of Prep’s Dance Committee for fourteen years, SAT testing supervisor for twenty-eight years, and an original member of Prep’s Alumni Association, among many other roles. On top of all this, Jim could even be found at the gate of Prep’s football games, serving as a home game site manager for fourteen years, helping with logistics, and setting a great example of service to his alma mater for the students and families in attendance.
In a school like Prep, college placement is not just part of the experience, but one of its defining characteristics. Jim’s patience, creativity, empathy, and sense of urgency all shaped the model of the department chair’s role and set the tone for his colleagues. Most importantly, his students were impacted in remarkable ways. Whether it was helping a junior formulate a plan for applying to his dream schools, or helping a student get through a loss in their family, Jim was there, modeling cura personalis every step of the way.
Another Prep Legend, Fr. John Browning, S.J., ’46, created the Prep Spirit Awards in 1981 to “celebrate all that Prep represented…the unsung heroes that come in many different forms.” Throughout his career, Jim has embodied this profile. His office was always known as one of the most welcoming places on campus, especially for students who just needed to talk, to be heard, and to be assured all would turn out fine. Over the years, countless students, alumni, and families have shared how their lives were changed, impacted, and touched by Jim’s love. His goal was never to be recognized; he simply wanted to help. He modeled all that was good about the Jesuits who taught him, and he was certainly proud and eager to do the same.
In the 2003 Petrean, the dedication noted, “You impact our lives just like a dad does—not just hearing us, but listening to us; not just advising us, but guiding us; not just doing your job, but genuinely caring for us,” a fitting tribute to a proud Prep dad (Jim’s son Mark graduated in 2000). It continued: “For always having a smile on your face, for always being there when we’ve needed your advice or just someone to talk to, and for always instilling in us a sense that we, too, can live extraordinary lives, it is with genuine pride that we, Senior Class of 2003, dedicate our yearbook to you, Mr. Jim Dondero.” That was then, and nearly two decades later, we proudly recognize the extraordinary life of this new Legend of Prep.
Funeral Arrangements
Visitation
Thursday, February 5, from 4 to 8 p.m.
Leber Funeral Home
1245 Paterson Plank Road, Secaucus, NJ
Funeral Mass
Friday, February 6, at 9:30 a.m.
Immaculate Conception RC Church
1219 Paterson Plank Road, Secaucus, NJ