Richard Carl James

Richard C. James Richard Carl James passed away on September 12, 2019 at Hospice Care of the Piedmont in Greenwood, South Carolina. The son of Beulah and Henry Carl James, he was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on October 6, 1915. He was raised in East Brady, Pennsylvania and attended the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University) in Pittsburgh. In 1940 he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force as a pilot and was stationed in England, where he flew for the famed RAF. While there, he met Kathleen (Kit) Bennett. They were married in 1941 and returned to America in the following year, where he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Navy. Richard was a career Naval Aviator for 27 years, serving in Morocco, England, Japan, Iceland and various duty stations within the United States. He retired as a Commander in 1969 and settled in New Bern, North Carolina, where he and Kit resided for 40 years. His love of flying continued into retirement and he enjoyed participating in various "Fly-Ins" across the U.S., often attending in an aircraft he built himself. He maintained a lifelong interest in world affairs and current events. After retiring from the Navy he developed his own daily exercise routine and dedicated himself to a healthy lifestyle, living to be almost 104 years old. Upon the death of his beloved wife of 69 years in 2010, Richard moved to Hilton Head, South Carolina to be near his daughter, Anne, and her family. He lived in The Seabrook of Hilton Head for over seven years. In June of 2018 he moved into the Fraser Health Center. Richard is survived by his daughter Anne Landis (Jim); two grandchildren, Kate Doran (Jeff) of Savannah, Georgia; James Landis Jr. (Aimee Smith) of Mexico City, Mexico; and three great grandchildren, Thomas, Penelope, and Vivienne. He is also survived by his younger brother, Howard James (Dalila) of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, and predeceased by his older sister Virginia Carroll of Akron, New York. The family would like to thank the administration, staff, and nurses of both the Seabrook of Hilton Head and Fraser Health Center for the excellent care and attention received while Richard was in residence. There will be a memorial service for Richard at the Seabrook of Hilton Head, 300 Woodhaven Drive, Hilton Head, on Sunday, October 6, 2019, at 4:00 PM. All who wish may attend. A reception will follow. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Seabrook Foundation.