- James Bassett Stapleton, 82, of Ramona died Monday. He was born in Illinois and was a retired Air Force pilot.
Survivors include his daughter, Jamie Schmidt; sons, James Bassett Stapleton II and Roger Stapleton; eight grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Services: 2 p.m. today, Sorrento Valley Chapel, 5600 Carroll Canyon Road, San Diego.
Interment: Arlington Point, El Camino Memorial Park.
San Diego Union-Tribune, The (CA)
Date: January 17, 2003
Edition: 1,2,6,7
Page: B-6
Record Number: UTS1713047
Copyright (c) 2003 Union Tribune Publishing Co.
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Col. James B. Stapleton, 82, former Evansville Airport manager, died January 13, 2003, at his home in Ramona, California, where he had moved upon his retirement as airport manager in 1986. Col. Stapleton was Evansville Regional Airport's manager for 17 years, from December 1969 to February 1986.
In 1944 and 1945, Col. Stapleton was the Chief of Experimental Flight Testing in Evansville for Republic Aviation, which built the P-47 fighter planes for World War II combat in the plant that is now a major manufacturing plant for Whirlpool Corporation.
Col. Stapleton received his bachelor of science degree from the University of Maryland and completed two years of post graduate work. He then joined the U.S. Air Force.
Stapleton served as deputy assistant chief at Weisbaden, Germany, which was the headquarters for the combined task force for the Berlin Airlift. He was also assistant operations officer for Fighter Bomber Wings in California, Louisiana, and the 21st Fighter Bomber Wing stationed in Chambley, France.
From 1963 to 1966, he held the position of deputy assistant chief of staff in communications and electronics of the Alaska Command. From 1958 to 1963, he was chief of the planning division and the director of logistics at NORAD Headquarters. He was responsible for the planning, budgeting and contractual negotiations for all air defense command airbase facilities within the U.S. and selected airbases in Canada.
Stapleton was the sole military representative appointed to the state of Alaska for the Emergency Resources Planning Board by then Governor Fagan.
In earlier years, between 1942 and 1958, while in the Air Force, he was chief of the Experimental Flight Test Center and base operations officer of Allison Division, General Motors Corporation at Weir Cook Airport in Indianapolis. He was also chief of base operations at Midway Airport and O'Hare Airport in Chicago and Park Ridge, Illinois.
Stapleton was preceded in death by his wife, the former Geraldine Polley.
He is survived by a daughter, Jamie Schmidt; two sons, James B. Stapleton of Mokena, Illinois, and Roger S. Stapleton of San Antonio, Texas; eight grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and sister-in-law, Charline Polley of Evansville, Indiana.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. today, January 17, at El Camino Memorial Park and Mortuary, 5600 Carroll Canyon Road, San Diego, California, 92121. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association.
Evansville Courier & Press (IN)
Date: January 17, 2003
Edition: Final
Page: B4
Record Number: 0302190018
Copyright, 2003, Evansville Courier & Press
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