2nd Lieutenant James Edgar “Jim” Mapes, loving husband and devoted father, 89, passed away December 15, 2012 in Colorado Springs. He was born on May 24, 1923 in New Windsor, NY, to his beloved parents, Alsop and Arabella Mapes.
Jim grew up on the family farm in upstate New York. He attended Cornell University, but left off studies during World War II to serve his country in the Army Corps of Engineers. He attended Princeton to complete the Corps of Engineering training. His twin brothers Chester and Andrew also served in World War II, where Andrew gallantly gave his life on June 6, 1944. Jim resumed his studies after the war, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree of Science in Agriculture from Cornell, going on to attain a Master’s degree of Science in Physics at Hofstra University. Jim remained in the Reserve Officers Training Corps until 1948, attaining the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. He was a guest scientist at Brookhaven National Laboratories, as well as working for the U.S. Armaments Research and Development Command later in his career. He was very active through the years in the Methodist Church, and was a Layman Preacher.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Alsop and Arabella, as well as his three siblings, Andrew, Chester and Mary Belle. He is survived by his wife Joyce (Grant); sons James and Donald; daughter-in-law Robin; and two granddaughters; Cameron and Tess Mapes.
A service and remembrance celebration of Jim's life will be held at Memorial Gardens at 2:00 pm on Saturday, December 22.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Jim's name to American Heart Association, http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/.
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