James David Rancourt, 66, died October 18, at Danbury Regional Hospice and Palliative Care Center, after battling pancreatic cancer for many years. He was born in Bridgeport on January 27, 1952, to Irene Macey Rancourt and Kenneth N. Rancourt.

He graduated from Masuk High School in Monroe in 1969. After graduating, he earned a degree in Criminal Justice, Cum Laude, from Western Connecticut State University in Danbury. Mr Rancourt later moved to Newtown, and he lived there for 25 years.

During his childhood, he was an accomplished musician, played several instruments, and won numerous awards throughout his early life. Mr Rancourt had a diverse career in public law enforcement, private security, private investigation, and he was a nationally known domestic terrorism expert. While studying at Western Connecticut State University, he joined the Monroe Police Department. He was appointed to Monroe’s first Youth Bureau and was later promoted to detective. As head of the Youth Bureau, he designed the security program for the Monroe Public School System and trained security officers. He founded the Connecticut Youth Officer Association, becoming its first president. He was a certified instructor in several areas as well as an NRA instructor in five specialties.

He later became senior director of security at United States Surgical Corporation in Norwalk for more than two decades. As senior director, he graduated first in his class at Executive Security International in Grand Junction, Colorado, and established a course record in combat shooting, graduated from Gunsight Academy in Paulden, Ariz., and holds a record time in the practical pistol course, and trained at International Rescue and Tactical Consultants in South Hampton, LI. He designed US Surgical’s Executive Protection Program and provided weapons and close combat training to his staff.

Mr Rancourt was considered a leading expert in animal rights terrorism in the United States and while working in Dell, Mont., he correctly profiled Ted Kaczynsky, the Unabomber, as an ecoterrorist before the FBI arrested him. He then began JDR Solutions, a private investigation firm.

He was involved in many aspects of national security, including the development of the security detail for the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002; he introduced a new generation of bullet and IED fragment resistant technology to DARPA, TACOM, subsequently tested at Aberdeen Proving Grounds. He was guest speaker at the FBI National Academy, Quantico, Va., on domestic terrorism many times, and he designed crisis management software to simulate the nationally recognized Incident Command System (ICS) for Government DHS agencies, first responders, and infrastructure corporations. He was also instrumental in finding the evidence to convict Richard Crafts with friend and coworker Keith Mayo on the Helle Craft wood chipper murder case in Newtown.

Mr Rancourt later moved to Phoenix, Ariz., and was a captain in the Maricopa County Arizona Sheriff’s Department and volunteered his time raising money for the families of fallen officers killed in the line of duty. He also worked as a fraud investigator for OneAZ Credit Union up until retiring in 2015.

He spent the better part of the last decade lovingly exploring Arizona. Sedona, Prescott, and the Mogollon Rim past Payson were some of his favorite locations to visit. He enjoyed riding his motorcycles; golfing; watching football, especially the Patriots; elk hunting in Montana; combat shooting; enjoying single malt scotch and cigars with “the guys”; trips to Rocky Point, Mexico; and countless snowmobile trips to Island Pond, Vt.

Spending time with his family was most important to Jim. He spent many days at his family’s cabins in Conway, New Hampshire, Conway Lake, Crystal Lake in Eaton, and riding through Mount Washington Valley on his BMW motorcycle.

His mother, Irene Rancourt; his daughter, Janelle Rancourt; his son, Jordan Rancourt, and his wife, Madeline; his longtime partner, Sharon Seivert; his brothers and their spouses Ken and Jane, Michael and Barbara, Norman and Heather, and Paul; his sister, Janet, and her husband, David; as well as several nieces and nephews survive him.

His father, Kenneth Rancourt, predeceased him.

The family asks that contributions be made to Project Purple at 115 Main Street, Suite 1, Seymour CT 06483; or the Regional Hospice of Danbury at 30 Milestone Road, Danbury CT 06810.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at [naviga:u]spadaccinofuneralhome.com[/naviga:u] for the Rancourt family.