Jim Senior, 52, assistant director of Thomas Hall dining and owner of Blimpies sandwich shop on Lincoln Avenue, died Saturday in his home of an apparent heart attack.

Senior, a Charleston resident leaves a wife, Kathy, a daughter and two sons. His son Greg is a student at Eastern, Monica McDaniels, assistant manager at Blimpies said.

Vicki Woodard, public relations specialist at Eastern said Senior had worked at Thomas dining for about two weeks.

He owned Blimpies sandwich shop and had previously worked for IGA and Wal-Mart, said Cindy Titus, executive director of the Charleston Chamber of Commerce.

McDaniels said Senior’s death deeply affected the staff at Blimpies. She said the restaurant will take donations they will give to charity, possibly the American Heart Association.

“He was a wonderful guy,” McDaniels said. “He’d do anything for you. A lot of us were pretty close to him. He was more of a father to me than a boss.”