Biography:


James Richard “Jimmy” Van Dover died Monday, November 17, just two days after joyfully celebrating the wedding of his grandson, Luke Van Dover.

Jimmy’s parents, Lucille Tillman Van Dover and Aubrey Alton Van Dover, welcomed him into this life on July 12, 1937 at Trinity Hospital in Little Rock. A proud North Little Rock native, he shared his early childhood with his sister, Suzy Van Dover Keasler. When their father passed away at the end of Jimmy’s elementary school years, the loss left a profound mark on him. Though he was young, he carried from that experience a deep sense of responsibility for others, a drive to work hard, and a desire to make life easier for the people he loved. Those early challenges instilled traits that would define him—a fierce work ethic, high expectations for himself and those around him, and a strength of will that guided him through every season of his life.

At North Little Rock High School, Jimmy excelled academically, athletically, and as a leader. He was elected Governor of Arkansas Boys State in 1954 and served as president of the 1955 senior class. As a gifted athlete, Jimmy played basketball, captained the football team, and earned distinctions on the All-Big 6, All-State, and All-Southern football teams—achievements that led to a football scholarship at the University of Arkansas.

At the University, Jimmy played on Coach Frank Broyles’ first Razorback team and was a three-year letterman while majoring in accounting and business administration. He served as president of the lettermen’s “A” Club, held leadership roles in the Wilson–Sharp Athletic Dormitory, and remained committed to his studies and community through membership in Blue Key, Alpha Kappa Psi, and Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.  He was also the recipient of the “Uncle James Hobbs” scholarship. In 1959, he was honored as one of thirty-five students selected for Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities.
Jimmy served as secretary of Scabbard and Blade and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He earned his Airborne wings at Ft. Benning, Georgia, and served in Germany with an infantry division before being medically discharged. That discharge, like other health challenges he faced throughout his life, only reinforced what everyone already knew about him: he was a fighter. Again and again, he met adversity with a strong will to live, to overcome, to succeed, and to provide. Friends and family often described him simply as a “survivor,” a word that fit him in every chapter of his story.

Jimmy entered the University of Arkansas School of Law after returning stateside, where he was elected president of the Law School Student Body. After graduating in 1964, he joined the Daggett Law Firm in Marianna—invited by his lifelong mentor, Jimason Daggett.

His legal career spanned more than fifty years, most of it in Marianna at what became Daggett, Daggett & Van Dover. He served on the Arkansas Board of Law Examiners and as an Arkansas Special Supreme Court Justice. Before retiring in 2015, he spent his final fifteen years practicing law with Wright, Lindsey & Jennings in Little Rock. His practice of law was more than a profession; it was his greatest source of professional pride and personal fulfillment.

Beyond the courtroom, Jimmy was deeply committed to community and service. A past president of the Marianna Rotary Club, he was honored with the Paul Harris Fellow Award in 1992. He cherished his church home at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church and remained involved in the Arkansas sports community as a member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors. A lifelong athlete, he continued exercising faithfully—even working out at UAMS on the afternoon of his passing—a testament to the discipline, grit, and determination that had marked his life from boyhood.

Jimmy was preceded in death by his parents, Lucille Tillman Van Dover Bratcher and Aubrey Alton Van Dover. He is survived by his childhood sweetheart and wife of forty-two years, Sylvia Vowell Van Dover; their children, Jay (Tracy) Van Dover of Little Rock, Mallory Van Dover (Brian Cato) of Little Rock, Wylie (Lillian) Cavin of Austin, TX, Chuck Cavin of Murfreesboro, TN, and Dabbs (Mary) Cavin of Little Rock; along with ten grandchildren—Nicole (Ricky) Randle, Chelsea (Seth) Pomeroy, Will (Cindy) Cavin, Kate Cavin, Mason Jewell, Luke (Haley) Van Dover, Seth Van Dover, Emma Jewell, Mason (Jessica) Cato, Nic Cato—and sixteen great-grandchildren!  He also leaves behind his sisters and their families: Suzy Van Dover Keasler (Jimmy) of Marianna, and Leigh Bratcher Bunten (Drew) of Benton.

Jimmy’s life was defined by perseverance, faith, and a devotion to the people he loved. From the hardships of his youth to the challenges he faced in his later years, he met every season with courage, discipline, and an unwavering will to overcome. Jimmy was generous, silently helping others without recognition. He was appreciative, grateful, and never complained about his health challenges. Those who knew him—family, friends, colleagues, teammates, and clients—watched him push through obstacles with quiet determination and a refusal to quit. His legacy is not only the accomplishments he earned, but the example he set: to work hard, to stand firm, and to face adversity with strength and grace. To the many lives he touched, Jimmy will always be remembered as a fighter, a survivor, and a man who lived his life with purpose.

A private visitation will be held on Thursday, November 20, in the home he shared with Sylvia—his favorite place on earth. A family graveside service will be at Roselawn Memorial Park Friday at 9:30 a.m. A public celebration of life and reception will follow on Friday, November 21, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, Little Rock.

Memorials can be made to the Jim Van Dover Pro Bono Endowed Fund at the University of Arkansas School of Law, or to St. Andrew’s Anglican Church.