James Donald Kiser, 76, passed away May 22, 2026, in Dallas, Texas. He was born on January 23, 1950, in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, to his parents Donald and Janet Kiser.
Jim grew up in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, where he attended school. Jim’s passion was baseball, and he spent many hot summer days down the street playing ball with friends. Upon graduating from West Mifflin North High School in 1967, Jim went on to attend his beloved Penn State University where he graduated with honors in 1971. Following graduation from Penn State, he was hired by the J.C. Penney Corporation as an accountant and went on to work for the company for his entire career. While employed with J.C. Penney in Minneapolis, MN, he met his future wife, Gay. They married on August 10, 1973. Their two children, Matthew and Megan, were born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Jim’s greatest pride was his family.
Jim prided himself on physical fitness and played softball with the J.C. Penney employees. He and his family participated in the Dallas Turkey Trot for nearly a decade. In addition, Jim loved running and ran several half-marathons; something he was enormously proud of accomplishing.
Jim believed strongly in serving his community and volunteer work. He found great joy in serving organizations such as Meals on Wheels, Habitat for Humanity, and ManeGait—a horse therapy camp for those who were physically challenged. Jim’s greatest pleasure was preparing the horses for the riders. He spent hours feeding them and hosing them down for these events. When Jim attended the Reformed Church in Plano, he enjoyed chaperoning the Youth Bike Trips to Eisenhower State Park. You would always find Jim in the back of the pack, attending to the kids who lagged behind. Jim was a source of encouragement for those who struggled.
In later years, Jim participated in events at Creekwood UMC in Allen, Texas, where he did soundboard for ten years. Jim was instrumental in Creekwood UMC obtaining handbells from his previous church and willingly provided much of the funding for the handbell choir.
Jim’s greatest pride was planning the Kiser Family Vacays. During these trips, Jim could be found paddle-boarding with his grandkids on Lake Nottely in Georgia, doing a natural water slide in Asheville, North Carolina, and strolling hand-in-hand with his wife Gay to locate Dolly Parton’s house in Sevierville, Tennessee. Nothing brought him more joy than spending time with family and exploring new locations. In their 52 years marriage, Jim and Gay were never able to celebrate a honeymoon, so Jim surprised Gay on their 50th anniversary, taking her on a once-in-a-lifetime European cruise along the Rhine in August 2023.
Those who knew Jim understood his passion for animals. Over the course of his life, Jim rescued dogs, goats, and donkeys. In later years, Jim loved sitting on the patio of their home in Fairview, Texas, watching his beloved miniature donkeys, Chance and Button. No one took better care of his animals than Jim did.
Jim is survived by his wife, Gay, of Fairview, Texas; children, son Matthew Kiser and wife Kelly Kiser of Morgantown, WV; daughter, Megan Kiser and wife Susan Ekstrom of Methuen, MA; and six cherished grandchildren: Connor, Ryan, Olivia, Brooks, Gracie Mae, and Haze. In addition, Jim is survived by two sisters, Donna Kiser-Turner and husband Hazo Turner; and Deborah Olexik and husband Mike Olexik, as well as many adored nieces and nephews.
Jim was preceded in death by his mother, Janet (Baird) Kiser, and father, Donald Kiser.
There will be a private Celebration of Life event for family in the Pittsburgh, PA area in the fall. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Jim’s name to his favorite charities: St. Jude’s; Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue in San Angelo, TX, or Planned Parenthood.