James ("Jim") Louis Worst

James ("Jim") Louis Worst passed away peacefully Sunday, October 30, 2016 at home in Broad Run, Virginia. He was 84 years old and had led an extremely active and full life. The oldest son of Ferdie and Loile Worst (Hefley), Jim grew up in Fort Smith, Arkansas and was privileged to join the United States Air Force in the last days of the Korean War as a fighter pilot flying the F­86 Sabre Jet. He trained in Texas and Nevada before being assigned to the 16th Fighter Intercept Squadron based at Misawa Air Base, Japan where he flew patrols over Korea to enforce the armistice. After returning to the United States, he joined the Fort Smith Air National Guard while earning his electrical engineering degree from the University of Arkansas where he met his wife, Jeanna (Coffey). Jim was a member of the honorary engineering fraternities Tau Beta Pi, Pi Delta Wye, and Eta Kappa Nu as well as a member of the honorary mathematics fraternity of Pi Mu Epsilon. Jim then obtained his masters degree in electrical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia publishing his thesis on the Orientation of Phased Array Radars to Minimize Average Scanning Loss. He joined the USAF Reserves, stationed at Willow Grove, Pennsylvania and worked for RCA on the cold war radar tracking system known as BMEWS (Ballistic Missile Early Warning System). Jim began flying for American Airlines in 1966. In that same year, he lost his younger brother Karl who was flying combat surveillance missions in Vietnam. In 1975 he moved the family from Willingboro, New Jersey to Virginia, giving up the ease of suburban life for the joys of jogging, bush­hogging fields and growing fruit trees and vegetables in Broad Run. Jim and Jeanna were long­time members of Warrenton United Methodist Church. Jim retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the Air Force Reserves in 1991 and retired from American Airlines as a Captain in 1991. Because of his love of flying, Jim volunteered his time flying patients with Mercy Medical Airlift, which he continued until 2000. Jim became a quadriplegic from a skiing accident in January 2000 but, despite being paralyzed for 16 years, Jim never allowed himself to sink into self­pity. A father of four, grandfather of nine, and recently a great-grandfather of one, Jim leaves behind his wife of 59 years, Jeanna M. Worst, daughter, Lisa Milligan and her husband Steve of Fayetteville, Arkansas, Robert E. Worst and his wife Lynda Marie Falkenstein of Fairfax, Virginia, Jeremy A. Worst and his wife Helen of Warrenton, Virginia, and Joel L. Worst and his wife Victoria of South Riding, Virginia. His grandchildren in order of age are Jacob Milligan, wife Kate and daughter Macklynn Mae, Sam Milligan, Kelley Milligan, Ian Worst, Skylar Worst, Mason Worst, Jessica Worst, Emerson Worst and Eowyn Worst. The family will receive friends on Thursday, November 3, from 6-8 p.m. at Moser Funeral Home, Warrenton. Funeral services will be at the Warrenton United Methodist Church on Friday, November 4, 2016 at 11 a.m. A reception will follow and interment will follow at 2 p.m. at Little Georgetown Cemetery, Broad Run, Va. Memorial contributions may be made to the Warrenton United Methodist Church, 341 Church Street, Warrenton, Va. 20186 or to a charity of the donor's choice.