Dr. James Madden

James D. Madden was born on April 10, 1939, to Dr. Donald Madden and his wife Eleanor May Madden, the second of what would become nine siblings. Jim lost his mother at the age of four and was “saved,” as he described it, by the woman who became his second mother, Geraldine Madden. He grew up in Chicago, Illinois, graduated from St. Ignatius High School, and then the University of Notre Dame. He attended medical school at Loyola University Chicago and, upon graduation, married Sheila Marie Canary, “the love of his life,” to whom he was married for 60 years. After marrying, they went to California for an internship at Alameda County Hospital and then to the Philippines for two years, where he served as a Peace Corps doctor. They returned to the United States and a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Georgetown University Hospital. Following this, they moved to Dallas for a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology at the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical School. Jim stayed on the faculty at UT Southwestern until 1980 and subsequently went into private practice at Presbyterian Hospital. He loved practicing medicine, his colleagues, and his patients.

Jim and Sheila have been parishioners at St. Monica’s Church for 54 years. All five of their children attended St. Monica school and this was the nucleus of their Dallas community as many of their friendships came through the church and school. Their family grew significantly over the years, coming to include 11 grandchildren. Jim was a loyal person, exceptionally kind, possessed of a marvelous sense of humor and an intense curiosity. He loved his family, and he was loved by them and many others. He will be missed.

His surviving family includes his wife, Sheila Madden, and children: Chris Madden, Pat Madden and wife, Lisa, Dan Madden and wife, Christy, all of Dallas, TX, Peter Madden and wife, Meredith, of Tulsa, OK, and Mary Madden Melle of Dallas, TX; and 11 grandchildren: Jack, Will, Luke, Claire, Elizabeth, Mary Katherine, Connor, and Cade Madden and Christopher, Josie, and Matthew Melle. He is also survived by his siblings, Donna Gasiorowski of Rockford, IL, Ann Madden Seckinger of Walnut Creek, CA, Patty Clancy and husband, Nick, of Keller, TX, Lisa Paciga and husband, Duke, of Orland Park, IL, Mike Madden and wife, Erica, of Chicago, IL, and Kevin Madden and wife, Shannon, of Geneva, IL, as well as his in-laws, Sue Madden, of Chicago, IL, Diane Madden, of Lawrenceville, GA, Patricia McMahon and husband Tom of Reston, VA, and Rev. John Canary of Chicago, IL, and numerous nieces and nephews. He is greatly loved by all of them. He is preceded in death by his parents, brothers Bill Madden and Tom Madden, and sister-in-law Nancy St. Romain. We are comforted with the knowledge he is now in their warm embrace.