Jim Eaves

Jim left high school in 1942 to work for the U.S. Army Signal Corps.  He was sent to Mississippi State College, Starkville, MS, Deforest Radio Labs, Chicago, IL, and the Philco Schools, Philadelphia, PA. He was transferred to Middletown Air Depot, near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1943, where he met the love of his life, Elsie Mae Klinger, his future wife.  He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in July 1943 where he trained as a pilot, navigator and bombardier.  Jim graduated Bombardier School in April 1945.  His fiancée, Elsie, traveled alone to Childress, Texas for his graduation and they were wed on April 18, 1945.  In June of 1945, Jim was in an AT-11 trainer aircraft that crashed on takeoff.  While being evaluated for injuries sustained in the air crash, he was diagnosed with Plasa Cell Myeloma and spent the next 2 years in Army hospitals.  Jim retired with disability in 1947 from the U.S. Army Air Corps.  He and Elsie returned to Selma and Jim worked in radio and TV repair.  In 1948 he opened his own business.  In 1958, Jim started a successful 22 year career with the Federal Aviation Administration. He began as a Communications Technician which led him to work in numerous areas in the FAA.  He was sent to Radar School in Oklahoma City, OK.  When he completed his instruction, he was offered a position as Radar Instructor at the Radar School in Oklahoma City.  Jim enrolled in night classes at the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State and in 1964 he took the Civil Service Engineering exams and passed.  He transferred to the Avionic Training Branch of the FAA academy in 1964 and was promoted to the grade of GS-855-12, Electronic Engineer. In January 1966 Jim transferred to the Memphis Area Office as an Electronic Engineer on the Facilities & Engineering staff. A year later he transferred to the Montgomery Field Engineering Office and in 1968 he transferred to the Atlanta Regional Office. He was promoted to Section Chief of the Radar Navaids Section in 1970. In 1972 Jim transferred to the Washington Headquarters of the FAA as a Program Engineer and was promoted to Assistant Division Chief of the Radar Engineering Division in 1974. In 1975 he was transferred to the New Orleans FAA Sector Office and assumed the duties of the Airway Facilities Sector Manager. Jim retired from the FAA on March 15, 1980, with 28 years of Federal service.  Jim and Elsie enjoyed their retirement where they traveled visiting family and doing genealogy research. He enjoyed sharing his family stories and staying up to date on various science topics and current events.  Jim and Elsie had two sons, James Bernard Eaves (b. 1947) and Marvin Lee Eaves (b.1962).  Jim and Elsie were married for 73 years.

Jim was preceded in death, by his parents, his brother Pierson (Pete) Eaves, and his sister, Theresa (Tatum) Norris.  He is survived by his wife Elsie, by his brother Richard Tatum, his son James B. Eaves and his wife Claudia, his son Marvin L. Eaves and his wife Vicki, his grandchildren, Chris, Erin, Heather, Ryan and Ashlee, and his great-grandchildren, Kyler, Julianna, Chris and Haley.  We would like to thank the staff at the Wesleyan skilled nursing and memory care and the staff at the Scott & White ICU for their compassionate and loving care.