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One of our old time members, John "Papa John" Starr passed away on July 1, 2011. John was involved in the Thorp movement from the earliest days. Several T-18s were started in the Tidewater, Viginia area by a Jack Barber and Lyle Trusty among others. John was involved with this group. When John and his family moved to Lakeland, FL in the '70s, John and a friend started two Thorps. Bill Williams and I have the remnants of those projects and are slowly completing John's project.
In the early days of Sun 'n Fun, John would host the Thorp Forum and started the dinner tradition by inviting all Thorp enthusiasts to his home. The Waltons, Shinns, Brocks, Ebys Highleys and Williams' as well as others were all part of these gatherings at John's.
He was one of the great proponents of the type and many of us owe our love of the plane to him and those like him. His wit and candor will be missed. His obituary follows:
COLONEL JOHN
BERNARD
STARR (RET.), 93
HOGANSVILLE, GA - Colonel John Bernard Starr (Ret.), 93, passed away of natural causes on July 1, 2011.
Born Jan. 31, 1918 in Gay, GA to Joseph Tenth Starr and Marie Barnes Starr, John's lineage can be traced back to Henry Starr who was born in 1752 and served in the Maryland Militia during the Revolutionary War. He spent his childhood years in Greenville, GA along with brothers Robert Arless, Joseph Tenth Jr., and sisters, Ruth Adeline and Sarah Ellen. Growing up during the Depression years instilled in him a close bond to family, strong work ethic, and an appreciation for the values of personal integrity and honesty he would carry with him his entire life. During high school, John participated in numerous activities and excelled at track and field events including pole vaulting where he competed and won several state competitions. After graduating from Greenville High in 1936 he attended college briefly in Rome GA, then the University of South GA for two years. During this time he was a field representative for the Dept. of Agriculture specializing in tobacco programs. He would later receive his LLB degree from Blackstone College of Law while serving in the military. During World War II, John served as an Infantry officer and was responsible for logistics and training of many troops. In the Pacific Theater he was involved in the demilitarization of Japan at the war's conclusion. While stationed at Ft. Breckenridge, KY he met Margaret Imogene Railey, fell in love and was married to Jean for 67 wonderful years. After the war, while in reserve status, John worked at Delta Airlines as an assistant station manager in the south for several large airports. He would resume his Army career and spend 32 years in many varied assignments around the world. Highlights of his Army career include serving as an intelligence officer debriefing thousands of displaced persons after the war in Salzburg, Austria. This important work resulted in valuable information helpful during the Cold War. He also had tours of duty in Taiwan, Korea, Fort Benning, GA, Oklahoma Military Academy, Okinawa, and Fort Monroe, VA. He received numerous commendations and awards for his service to the country and retired from the Army in 1974. Jean and John moved to Lakeland, FL and would spend the next 30 years. John obtained his private pilot's license in 1940 and his interest in aviation was a lifelong pursuit. He was an active member in the Experimental Aviation Association (EAA). While in Florida he served as a board member of the Sun-N-Fun Fly-In and participated in many aspects of this organization while promoting his love of flying. John loved talking to people and would offer a "Hello" or smile to both friend and stranger. He loved his family and they were the primary focus of his thoughts throughout his life.
He leaves wife Jean, sons John B. Starr Jr., Dr. Robert M. Starr, Tom Starr, and daughters Sippy Cesare, Amy Hubbard, Becky Ferrell, and Tami Paulus. The legacy of his memory will be carried forward with 12 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sisters, Sarah Hutchinson and Ruth Lundin.
A memorial service will be 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, July 6, at Greenville (GA) United Methodist Church; interment in Greenville Cemetery with military honors. Memorial contributions may be made to Sun 'N Fun Air Museum, 4175 Medulla Rd., Lakeland, FL 33811. McKibben Funeral Home, Hogansville, GA.
_________________
Bob Highley
N711SH
SN 835
KLAL
Last edited by admin on Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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