James D. Sipple - Brother

In memory of my beloved brother and best friend who passed on October 18, 2012, at the young age of 65. His love of flying and Space inspired me early on. When we were kids, we would go to O'Hare Airport and watch, with excitement; the planes take off and land. In the late 1960's, he received his pilot's license and we would head out to airport, in Elgin IL to practice touch and go's in a Cessna 172. Later he would fuel planes to earn money to fly at DuPage Airport in West Chicago, IL. At that time, it was an 80% VA flight school. I went on to work there and through friends I made, had the privilege to fly in a Bell Jet Ranger and a Lear Jet at EJA Aviation School in Ohio.

My brother had many friends who were also in love with flight and airplanes; Private pilots, Aircraft mechanics, Intercontinental Jet Pilots, Flight instructors, FAA personnel. He would go to the Antique
Aircraft Show at Oshkosh, WI every year. He was a very conscientious pilot and every year would receive the NTSB aviation accident database. He could name you any plane from any time period. What caused any famous air crash? He would devour any information he could and retain it.

He loved visiting the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. I had the privilege to visit the Kennedy Space Center twice. Unfortunately my brother never got to make that visit. We were both in love with the Space Program. We celebrated his birthday one year at Lovell's of Lake Forest. We met his son and saw the 1969 mural by Lumen Winter which inspired the design of the Apollo 13 patch, hanging in the bar lounge. Tom Hanks presented Jim with the painting after playing him in the movie Apollo 13.

As my brother's health gave way, he would go out and fly model airplanes at the flying field by his home and hang out with the guys.

I was with him the day he passed, I told him he was going up in the sky to be a star and I will be along side of him soon. Every night I look in the sky and wonder which one he is...

Your loving Sister who misses you so much ... Sally