James (Jim) H. Way, was born in Coatesville, Pennsylvania to William Harry and Elsie Miller Way, on August 8, 1930. He passed away on April 4, 2018 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, at the age of 87, due to complications from the flu.
He graduated from S. H. Scott High School in 1948, and then earned two degrees in chemical engineering from Virginia Tech (B. S. 1952) and North Carolina State University (M. S. 1954). Jim joined the Air Force in 1952 while a student at Virginia Tech. After flight school, he learned to fly several jet aircraft and also had assignments in Vietnam (Nha Trang Air Base), Washington DC, Colorado Springs, and Brussels, Belgium (NATO HQ). After 22 years of dedicated service to the USAF, he retired as a Lt. Colonel here in Colorado Springs. Jim worked at Montgomery Ward in Colorado Springs from 1975 to the late 1980s.
Jim met Rebekah (Becky) W. Upchurch on a blind bridge date, while in graduate school at NC State, and they married in 1954. Together they traveled across the globe with their two sons, Greg and Doug, taking in all the history and culture and making lifelong friends along the way. Jim and Becky had a wonderful 62 years of marriage before Becky died in 2016.
Jim was extremely active in civic and political organizations in Colorado Springs, including Daedalions, Rotary International, the Military Officers Association (MOA), and the El Paso County Republicans.
He will be deeply missed by his son, Doug, and daughter-in-law, Debbie; son, Greg; and grandchildren, Diana and Ryan Way.
The funeral service will be held at 5:00 p.m. Saturday, April 14 at Shrine of Remembrance “America the Beautiful” Chapel, 1730 East Fountain Blvd, Colorado Springs, with a viewing beginning at 4:30 p.m. prior to the service. A reception will follow the service at MacKenzie Place Ballroom, 1605 Elm Creek View, Colorado Springs, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project www.woundedwarriorproject.org.