JAMES ROBERT BARTHEL

BARTHEL, JAMES ROBERT Born July 25, 1933 Died October 13, 2010 Jim Barthel died October 13 at the age of 77. Jim passed away peacefully in his home in Pacific Beach, where he lived for 40 years. Jim was born July 25, 1933, in Evansville, Ind., the first son of Anna Froehlich Barthel and Raymond George Barthel. Jim grew up in Evansville where he graduated from Reitz Memorial High School in 1951. Jim often told stories about his childhood and his love of making model airplanes and cars. Many of the tales Jim recounted were about the cast of characters he and his brother and sister invented to describe the people who inhabited their neighborhood. The stories they created stayed with Jim even into his last days, and the mention of "Jackie Crabox" always got a smile. Jim spent his first year as an undergrad at Saint Edwards University in Texas. He opted to complete his studies at Purdue University and received his bachelors, masters and doctorate from Purdue. The first week of June in 1960 was an eventful one for Jim. During that week, he received his Ph.D. in Aeronautical Engineering, married the love of his life Mary Garvey in Hammond, Indiana (they had met at Purdue), moved to San Diego, California and began working as an engineer at Convair, which later became General Dynamics. Jim also taught briefly at the University of California at San Diego. Mary and Jim loved living in sunny San Diego and as newlyweds, settled in various apartments in and around the Pacific Beach area. They quickly accumulated a variety close friends many of whom were also transplants from the Midwest and worked for General Dynamics, a major employer at that time. Jim enjoyed those years enormously and maintained the friendships he made throughout his life. In July of 1965, Jim and Mary welcomed their daughter, Katie. Shortly after that, the family moved to Santa Barbara, CA, where they enjoyed many visits from relatives and friends from Indiana. In December of 1967, they were blessed with their son Kevin and returned to San Diego and settled in the house on Edgeworth Road. Working on the yard and watching it transform from a dirt lot into a showpiece was one of his greatest pleasures. When it came to environmental issues, Jim was ahead of his time. He chose plants that were native to San Diego or thrived in dry climates. He was intrigued by the distinction of the Torrey Pine, the rarest native plant in the U.S.; the tree he planted forty years ago thrives today without irrigation. Jim loved his work as a physicist at S-Cubed where he made enduring friendships with many fellow scientists. Throughout his 40-year career, he was highly respected in his field and made lasting contributions to the physics community through his published works. Jim was deeply patriotic, and his abiding love for America was reflected in his diligent work on sensitive national-defense consulting projects, an effort that continued until his final illness. Jim loved sports both active and passive. He was an avid fan of the San Diego Chargers and Padres. He played tennis, enjoyed running and hiking. Jim was an excellent bridge player; and he and Mary played in several bridge clubs. They entertained frequently and loved to travel. Jim was a devout Catholic and he and his late wife practiced their faith throughout their lives. His faith was a source of comfort when Mary passed away in April of 1999. Jim is survived by his daughter Katie (Gary), son Kevin (Mary), three grandchildren; brother Michael (Martha) of Florida and sister Carole of Maryland; and many lifelong friends and relatives. A celebration of Jim's life will be held on Wednesday, October 20, 2010 at 10 a.m. El Camino Memorial Park & Mortuary Sorrento Valley Chapel 5600 Carroll Canyon Road San Diego, CA 92121 Phone (858) 453-2121 The Barthel family would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the people who cared for Jim so lovingly during his illness. Cindy Webb, in particular, and all the other special women (angels on earth) who showed Jim such compassionate care. We would also like to thank the people of San Diego Hospice without whom Jim could not have spent the sunset of his life in such comfort and peace. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jim's name to San Diego Hospice foundation 1-619-278-6587, 1-866-688-1600.