JIM ROPER 1966 - 1971 PILOT MKC I was leafing through the Obituary page today and although I can't supply any specific date info, on many of the pilot's listed there is no info at all. My memory is far from perfect but I thought I'd pass along what I remember about some of these guys. Jim Roper: Jim was a F/O at Kansas City for about 3 years. He flew with me alot and what a great guy he was to work with. Always happy and a good pilot, he had a lot going for him. He went to the doctor to have a couple of small cysts removed. The doctor spotted another which he decided to remove too. The ones he went in for were benign; the extra one was malignant. Jim lasted about 6 months to the day. There were a lot of wet eyes at his funeral. -H.A. "Frosty" Frost (11/26/99) On November 27, 1971, First Officer J.W. Roper of Kansas City died of cancer. Below is a copy of a eulogy written by his wife, Marianne, and delivered at the funeral services. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- James William Roper was given life from November 3, 1933 to November 27, 1971. Four children enriched the lives and love of he and his wife Marianne - James Arthur, John William, Mary Beth and Julie Ann. Jim was the son of Minnie H. Roper and the late Rev. Albert Roper. He shared their home with one brother, Gerald Dean. He was saved and baptized by his father at Harmony, Missouri Baptist Church at the age of 10. Paralleling his love for his family, Jim had great affection for aviation, particularly the fraternity of his fellow pilots at Frontier Airlines. Jim was kind and gentle, of warm personality. He enjoyed and was enthused with life and accepted both success and disappointment calmly, not given to excessive emotion. His faith in the will of God blessed Jim with a capacity to courageously accept what he could not change, including his own passing, and with a painless peace and serenity, accepted his fate, conveyed faith to his family and friends and entered into communication with his Maker. Jim would not want you to gather here today in sadness. Life has no meaning without an end to work toward and the quality of Jim's life is more meaningful than the quantity allotted him in years. He would wish that any tokens of warmth be expressed toward his family, each of whom he loved dearly - toward any child, since he loved children and always found a moment of time, attention and affection toward them - toward the old or the poor or toward helping and encouraging some young man competing to succeed as he did so well. Let no man call Jim's death a tragedy. There is nothing tragic about anyone attaining eternal life where he is happy, healthy and in a much less troubled environment. The memory of Jim's life may be be served by our remembering kindness to others and not by clouding this day with depression and remorse or lack of faith. It would be fitting for all of us to recall something from Jim's life that brought us happiness and give thanks for what we have been given, rather than expressing regret for what we have lost. -FRONTIER NEWS, January 1972 (From Ken Schultz 4/16/00) According to the Social Security Death Index, James Roper was born 3Nov1933 and died Nov1971, age 38. -Jake Lamkins (4/27/00) Jim is not on the 10/28/67 FL/ALPA seniority list. The next one I have is 9/1/72 and, of course, he's not on it. If he had three years as Frosty notes, his start date was probably 1968. -Jake Lamkins (11/26/09) Was looking at the obits and found an error on Jim Roper's hire date. He was hired at Central and was one class ahead of me which would be 11/21/1966. -Ron Gallop (12/18/10) Thanks so much, Ron, for your help. With that info I found him on the 10/28/67 FL/ALPA seniority list with a seniority date of 11/21/66 just as you said. I will correct Jim's memorial webpage right away. -Jake Lamkins (12/18/10)