James Richard Carter, '60, died from a brain tumor Sept. 16, 1996. While piloting a Continental flight to Antigua over the 4th of July, Rich became ill. A CAT Scan revealed a malignant cancer, and he underwent two lengthy operations for removal of the tumor. Interment was at the USAFA Cemetery on Sept. 19.

Rich was born Jan. 10, 1937 in Goshen, Utah. He graduated from Payson High School, was an Eagle Scout Master and in the Civil Air Patrol. He attended Brigham Young University prior to entering the Academy in 1956. My first recollection of him was as opponents in intramural basketball– at which I had a distinct height advantage. At 6' 5", Rich was too tall to enter the Academy, but a doctor at BYU taught him how to "scrunch-by-an-inch." He had been a contender for the varsity team, but, preferring infamy, he was the first athlete ever cut from the squad by Dean Smith.

He's "JR." in our yearbook, Rich to most, but later became the Duke and was involved while at the Academy: Aero Club, Choir, Cadet Forum, Gun Club, Photography Club, Model Engineering Club, Protestant Religious Council, Radio Club, Soaring Club, Skeet Club, Ski Club, Ski Control, and Yearbook Staff.

Following pilot training at Luke in 1961, Rich was at Hill AFB, then flight- examiner/instructor at Hickam. Resigning from the Air Force in 1966, he became a 727 captain for Continental Airlines.

After meeting at our 1980 reunion, I consulted for him with numerous business ventures, consumed many martinis at our lunches, and always marveled at his resiliency. When one of his business activities resulted in a huge financial loss (coincidentally occurring during a period of extreme personal difficulties), I asked him: "How do you handle all of this so well . . . you're still so optimistic!" His response: "When anything in my life goes bad, I think about those boys laying in the back of my C-124 when I was flying body bags from Vietnam to Hawaii!" That was his perspective on life.

He was a proud person. . . . proud of children, Rock and Carey Lyn, and of his four grandsons . . . proud of graduating from the Academy, his flying skills, and those economic enterprises. My friend was: lusting for life, tall, filled with humor, generous, an entrepreneur, had an engaging smile which could melt ice, loved the grape, faithful to his original ideals, had an incredible memory, loved music, compulsive about his business ventures, manifested some "blind spots," possessed strong religious beliefs, and was always positive. He was a man who wasn't perfect, while being a person who lived life to its fullest while he lived. JAMES RICHARD CARTER . . . We Hardly Knew Ye. Godspeed, Sir.

(Rosie Cler, '60)