James A Chmura

October 4, 1948 - January 27, 2026

James (Jim) Chmura, 77, of Great Falls, VA passed away peacefully on January 27, 2026 with his family at his side. Jim was born on October 4, 1948 in Buffalo, NY to Henry and Doris Chmura. He was the only boy and grew up with five sisters. Teasing his sisters became a lifelong activity they all enjoyed. As a young boy, Jim was a Boy Scout, an alter boy, had a newspaper route and rode his bike "until the street lights came on". When Jim was 11 years old, the Buffalo Bills franchise was founded and he became a lifelong fan. He attended St. John The Evangelist School and graduated from Bishop Timon High School. Jim received his Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics from Fairleigh Dickinson College and subsequently his Master's Degree in Computer Science from Rutgers University.

In his early career in the computer software field, he worked for Bell Laboratories in Holmdel, NJ where he worked on the forefront of cellular phone technology. In the late 1970's, he moved back to Western NY where he became a Professor at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) teaching Computer Science at the undergraduate and graduate level. One of nine colleges within RIT is the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID), the world's first and largest technological college for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Jim became actively engaged with NTID and took it upon himself to learn sign language so that he could better communicate the technical aspects of the coursework he was teaching. Jim furthered his career working for numerous computer-related companies including Sun Microsystems for 18 years and most recently ManTech International. He became a Cybersecurity and Identity Management Expert and Architect. Jim loved his lifelong work and had no interest in retiring.

On July 27, 1985, Jim married the love of his life, Kathryn Gregg of Rochester, NY. As newlyweds, they moved to Boston, eventually to Atlanta and finally settled in the Washington, DC suburb of Great Falls, VA where they have lived for the last 32 years. Jim and Kathryn were each other's best friends. They approached everything as a team and supported each other's endeavors. They always made each other laugh and took care of one another. Together they raised their children, traveled the world and made wonderful friends throughout their marriage. They became "Gigi and Poppy" when their first granddaughter was born and loved everything about their new roles. In July of 2025, Jim and Kathryn celebrated their 40th Wedding Anniversary among family and friends at their home.

Jim loved to travel and did so often, whether it was a road trip along backroads or a long flight to another country. Europe, Asia and the Caribbean were all stamps on his passport and he loved exploring all over the United States. Jim also loved music, listening to artists like Steely Dan, Dire Straits and Pat Metheny, with his claim to fame being his attendance at Woodstock in 1969. Jim had a passion for cars and owned many cool ones over the years. His Jeep Wrangler, Hummer H2 and most recently a Toyota convertible that he refurbished were some of his favorites. Of all of his interests however, Jim's biggest was being a lifelong fan and supporter of the Buffalo Bills. For almost 30 years he cheered on games at Jimmy's Old Town Tavern in Herndon, VA where he was a regular every season and loved having his family join him.

More than his work, travel, music, cars or sports, Jim loved his wife and his family the most. Some of his favorite people were his three little granddaughters that called him Poppy. Jim was his family's number one champion and always wanted to take care of them in any way he could. He will be dearly loved and forever in their hearts.

Jim was a great guy, very smart, independent and funny with a great wit. He had a wonderful, full and fun life that he lived the way he wanted. He will continue to inspire the lives he touched and his time with us will be cherished forever.

Jim is survived by his loving wife of 40 years, Kathryn (nee Gregg); Children, Christopher (Beth) Chmura of Auburn, AL, Elizabeth Chmura of New York, NY, Emily Chmura of Rochester, NY, Luke (Natasha) Chmura of Seattle, WA; Granddaughters, Lily and Ella Chmura of Auburn, AL and Twyla Ransom-Chmura of Seattle, WA; Sisters, Carol (Ed) Prabucki of Buffalo, NY, Jean (Jim) Sciara of Syracuse, NY, Mary (Paul) Chmura of Olympia, WA, Joann Chmura of Buffalo, NY and Sue (John) Bassett of Denver, CO; Numerous in-laws, nieces, nephews and close friends.

Family and friends will be welcomed from 5-7 PM Monday, February 9, 2026 at Demaine Life Celebration Center, 45511 E Severn Way, Sterling, VA 20166, and from 9-10:30 AM Tuesday, February 10, 2026 in the Chapel of Saint Ignatius at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 1315 36th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007. The Chapel is adjacent to the Church.

A Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 AM on Tuesday, February 10, 2026 at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 1315 36th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007. Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to Rochester Institute of Technology/National Technical Institute for the Deaf (RIT/NTID) in Jim Chmura's name.

Rochester Institute of Technology, 116 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623