JAMES HALPIN

James Edward Halpin  
Jim Halpin, 92 of Springfield, VA passed away February 15, 2019. He was born in Syracuse, NY on June 24, 1926. He is survived by his wife Shirley of 67 years; his children James Patrick (Linda), Sue Adams (John), Erin Smith (Kerry); grandchildren Ryan (Emily), Kara, Amanda Kusterer (Jason), Heather Adams (fiancée Alonzo Lucas), and Johnny Adams (fiancée Christie Babson); and great grandchildren Clara and Sophia Kusterer. Jim began working at an airfield at 13 years old where he took flying lessons and soloed at 16. In 1944, a week after his high school graduation, he enlisted in the Navy as an aviator and attended Colgate and Dartmouth (NROTC). He flew the F4U Corsair and F8F Bearcat. He reached the rank of Lieutenant and was honorably discharged in 1950. He became a pilot for Colonial Airlines, later purchased by Eastern Airlines. Based out of NY and Washington, DC, he flew domestic and international flights. He worked as Check-Captain, Safety Accident Investigator, and Manager of Flying. He flew Captain on the Douglas DC9, Lockheed L1011, and the Airbus A300. He retired in 1986 after flying for 35 years.In 1951 he married his true love Shirley Ryan. He loved spending time with his wife and family. He was brilliant and curious and valued education. He was a passionate logophile who cleverly created words and phrases that became part of our vocabulary. He delighted us with plays on words, rhymes, and poetry. He read the paper cover to cover including the comics. A happy man with a great sense of humor, he always had a smile on his face. He was genuinely kind, caring, strong and gentle. He loved travel, nature and the environment, and music, especially jazz. He enjoyed the night sky and the quiet of sailing. He was honest and loyal, and a devout Catholic who reached out to help others daily and thru service to church and community. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Democratic National Committee or to Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Alexandria, VA, where a viewing will be held on February 22 at 10 a.m. followed by the Funeral Mass at 11 a.m.