James Gosey, former Forest Hill mayor, dies at home

James L. Gosey, an often controversial former mayor of Forest Hill, was found dead at home early Wednesday, the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office reported.

The cause and manner of his death was not listed in the online log by Wednesday evening.

Mayor Gerald Joubert said he was told in a phone call that paramedics were called to Mr. Gosey’s home and found him “unresponsive.”

He was pronounced dead at 12:54 a.m., the medical examiner reported.

Mr. Gosey, 53, was mayor from 2003 until he lost a bid for re-election in 2011.

During his tenure, residents submitted recall petitions against him and another councilman, but in July 2010, the council voted not to call the election. In December 2010, the council voted to suspend Mr .Gosey for four months, accusing him of trying to influence council votes.

A few months later, Mr. Gosey and former Councilman Damian Dalcour got into a fistfight at City Hall, and both were banned from City Hall.

Joubert defeated Mr. Gosey for re-election in May 2011.

Two years later, Mr. Gosey sued the city and Dalcour seeking medical expenses.

In a Star-Telegram Voters Guide in 2005, Mr. Gosey listed his occupation as U.S. Army major in the Army Reserves who had been called to active duty in 2003 to train troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. His previous employers were Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Electronic System. He wrote that he was also a “real estate investor, developer and home builder.”

This story was originally published March 24, 2016 at 1:36 PM with the headline "James Gosey, former Forest Hill mayor, dies at home."