My father passed away earlier this year from heart disease. This happened just as the family here was getting moved in for the sabbatical. Needless to say, a visit with him before he died would have been a very good thing. His passing came as a shock to us and all who knew him. I put together some words about him which follow:
He was born in Laurel, Mississippi where he lived until he joined the Navy in 1943. He was a flight instructor during WWII and was one of the few pilots at the end of the war to be asked to continue service. He was trained as a fighter pilot and flew Navy fighters such as the propeller-driven Wildcat, Hellcat, Bearcat, and Corsair. When the Navy moved to jets, JB flew the Banshee, the Panther, the Cougar, and the Crusader. Since he was always ready to fly, he also took assignments in various non-combat planes such as the C-3 and Beechcraft models of the day. He was trained as a photography pilot and was deployed on several aircraft carriers which toured East and Southern Asia. Another highlight in my father’s naval career was as one of the commissioning officers on the nation’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the Enterprise.
After retiring from the Navy in 1966, JB began a career as a flight instructor and later, corporate pilot. He worked at Jim’s Air and moved to Crown Air where he was Chief Flight Instructor. Later he became the Chief Pilot for Hawthorne Machineries and flew Mr. Hawthorne and his clients to various places in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. He also flew several fights in the Hawaiian islands where research into atmospheric conditions was being conducted. JB retired from professional flying in the 1990′s, but he maintained his private pilot’s credentials until his death. In total, he had over 23,000 hours of flying time, and his flying career spanned close to 63 years.
In more recent years, JB stayed active by riding his bicycle, going to the sauna regularly, and staying active in his community. He was well-known by all the businesses he frequented and was famous for making and sharing his chocolate chip cookies.
He will be sorely missed by all whose lives he touched. Happy flying, Dad…
