“Be good.”

That’s how James Edward O’Mara of Bradford “ended every meeting, every visit,” said Francie Ambuske, director of development for the Bradford Hospital Foundation.

O’Mara died on Feb. 5 at the age of 74.

His work with the foundation is just a part of the long legacy of community service he is leaving behind.

“Part of his personality always was a willingness to serve,” Ambuske explained. In addition to being “truly committed to advancing” Bradford Regional Medical Center, O’Mara “dearly loved his wife, Kim,” and was proud that he obtained his master’s in social work later in life.

A “multifaceted” man, he was “dedicated to community good,” had a “deep conviction with his faith” and “loved promoting all aspects of various political offices,” Ambuske said.

O’Mara worked with the Bradford Hospital Foundation for several years, she said. “He really enjoyed working with the leadership of Bradford Regional Medical Center and was very close with Tim Finan and the rest of the leadership.”

Ambuske talked about O’Mara’s work in dairy farming, which “was one of the businesses that he grew into and developed over Pennsylvania and New York.” He was president of the O’Mara Group, too.

Gayle Bauer, a business partner of O’Mara for 44 years, said, “I couldn’t have had a better business partner all these years than him.”

A few of the other places O’Mara could be seen showing his support were Beacon Light, the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford and the Catholic Diocese of Erie.

For his part, Dr. Livingston Alexander, president of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, said, “Our entire campus community mourns the loss of a great friend and staunch supporter.

“As a long-time member of our Advisory Board, Jim demonstrated his dedication and commitment to our campus and its students in multiple ways, including generously supporting the scholarship program and monitoring virtually all construction projects taking place on our campus in the last 10 years.”

O’Mara’s absence won’t go unnoticed, according to Alexander. “We will miss Jim’s optimistic outlook, caring demeanor, and low-key way of sharing his profound wisdom on a multitude of issues,” he said.

According to the Rev. Raymond Gramata, O’Mara was active in parishes at St. Francis of Assisi Church, where he was a member, as well as St. Bernard Church.

“He was very active in the community faith-wise,” said Gramata, explaining that O’Mara was the altar server at the 8 a.m. Mass on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and helped distribute Communion at the hospital several times a week, as well as at homes once or twice a week.

“He was a person who tried to live out his faith every day in whatever he was doing, whatever organization he was a part of,” said Gramata.

Gramata called O’Mara’s faith “the guiding art of his life,” and noted that among his work was time as a counselor for young people at Beacon Light.

Also sharing his thoughts was Dr. Richard McDowell, who said, “I lost a old-time friend of over 50 years.”

In addition to spending time together on the Bradford Hospital Foundation board of directors, O’Mara was a member of the Advisory Board at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, where McDowell is a professor and president emeritus.

“He’ll be a big loss for the City of Bradford for all the things he contributed to,” said McDowell, listing some such as the university, the Bradford Hospital Foundation and the Bradford Alliance. “He was an active member of all those organizations.” He added that O’Mara was “very much an entrepreneur. He was a catalyst for ideas, making things happen.”

O’Mara of 474 S. Kendall Ave. passed away Sunday (Feb. 5, 2017).

Born Feb. 2, 1943, in Bradford, he was the son of the late James and Mary Keenan O’Mara.

On June 7, 1997, in St. Francis Church, he married Kimberly Young O’Mara, who survives.

A 1961 graduate of Bradford High School, he graduated from Alfred State University with a bachelor of arts degree in agriculture engineering. Later in life, he obtained a bachelor of arts degree in human relations, with a minor in philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford and followed with an M.S.W from the University of Pittsburgh at Oakland.

He was a lifelong member of St. Francis Church, where he served in various capacities, including altar server, member of the Parish Council and Eucharistic Minister, serving shut-ins and those in nursing homes where he made more than 90,000 Communion calls during his service. He was also active in numerous activities in the Catholic community and the Erie Diocese, serving as a member of the Diocesan Liturgy Committee and the Catholic Foundation Board.

He was a lifelong farmer as well as general manager and president at Sunny Brook Dairies Inc. and a general partner in McKean County Creamery, after the sale of these businesses in 1977 to Upstate Milk Cooperative of Leroy, N.Y. He was employed with the cooperative in numerous capacities, including Jamestown Division manager, director of distribution and sales and director of commercial sales. He retired from the dairy business in 1993.

Mr. O’Mara purchased Crosby Dairy Products in 1966 from Howard Crosby of Hinsdale, N.Y. He then started and operated Crosby Mini-Marts, later Crosby Marts, for 40 years. He was president and CEO of the store group which sold to Reid Petroleum in 1997.

Currently, he is president of the O’Mara Group, LLC, where he and his long-time business associate continue to operate a real estate holding company, as well as other related business activities.

In 2000, he began as a contract employee for Beacon Light as a mobile therapist where he worked with at-risk teenage boys and their foster families in the foster care program and found this to be a very special time in his life.

He was also active in a variety of civic activities where he served in numerous leadership capacities. He was a member of the Pennsylvania Milk Dealers Association, where he served as vice president; director of New York State Dairy Foods, where he also served as president.

He was a member of the Bradford Area School Board, serving for eight years as a director, vice president and president. He was also a charter member at North Central Workforce Investigation Board.

In 1995, he joined the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Advisory Board, where he currently was chair of the Business Affairs Committee and a member of the Institutional Advancement Committee.

He was currently chairman of the Bradford Hospital Foundation, where he has been actively involved in financial development and a third generation Rotarian, obtaining a Paul Harris Fellow Award.

He was active in county politics and maintained an active interest in recruiting and supporting local political leaders.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by a sister, Kathy O’Mara of Bradford; a niece, Nicole Hoblack; his sister-in-law, Suzie (Jerry) Maras; three nephews, James O’Mara Segee, Christopher (Chelsea) Maras and Blake (Kimberly) Maras.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Friends are invited to call from 11 a.m. to noon Thursday in St. Bernard Church, where a Mass of Christian Burial will be con-celebrated at noon by the Rev. Raymond Gramata, pastor of St. Bernard Church; the Rev. Leo J. Gallina, retired pastor of St. Bernard Church; and the Rev. Dominic Monti, of St. Bonaventure University. Burial will be in St. Bernard Cemetery.

Memorial contributions, if desired, can be made to the Bradford Hospital Foundation; St. Francis of Assisi Church; or to a charity of the donor’s choice.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Hollenbeck-Cahill Funeral Homes Inc.

Online condolences may be made at www.hollenbeckcahill.com.