Pyne, James Arthur Jr.

85, of Phoenix, AZ, passed away peacefully on February 20, 2014, at the Terraces of Phoenix. James "Jim" was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend. He was a man of faith, who was respected for his honesty, strength of character and quiet acts of kindness and generosity. Jim was born on August 7, 1928, in Wilkes-Barre, PA. He met the love of his life, Lois Jane Newton, in the fifth grade. Jim and Lois were married in 1950 and were inseparable for 63 years. They have three children, Carollynn Pyne Davis, David Lawrence Pyne and Dr. Robert Allen Pyne. Jim’s children, 8 grandchildren and infant great-grandchild were the lights of his life, and he enjoyed telling them silly jokes while sharing outdoor activities and working together on home improvement projects and auto repairs. Jim excelled at anything he tried, but he particularly enjoyed model railroading and outdoor photography. He had a soft spot for dogs and puppies, and loved to travel. Known for his physical strength and athleticism, Jim played football and was on the track team (weights) in high school and college. Wesleyan University was undefeated in football three of the four years Jim played tackle. In his 60s, Jim was still fit enough to move stone boulders single-handedly when landscaping the family home. Professionally, Jim was a mechanical engineer, a registered Professional Engineer in Arizona and Indiana, and a heat transfer specialist. After graduating from Wesleyan, Jim served two years in the U.S. Army overseas in Tokyo, then earned two engineering degrees at Purdue University. He started his career in 1957 at Combustion Engineering in Chattanooga, TN, working on nuclear submarine propulsion systems. He moved to Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio, working on Peltier refrigeration. He moved to General Motors, Allison Division, in Indianapolis, IN, where he worked on rocket nozzles, infrared emission from gas turbines and cooled turbine concepts. Then at AiResearch in Phoenix, AZ, he worked on gas turbines, heat exchangers, airfoil cooling, gas turbine anti-icing systems, icing test simulation, FAA certification tests and a design approach to judge the probability of titanium fires in turbine engines. He had several patents, and retired in 1991. Jim was a Christian who accepted Christ as his savior in 1953 at a revival concert in Tokyo, so he had the assurance of Heaven and being reunited with his loved ones for eternity. He was preceded in death by his sister Jane Pyne Palisca, brother Charles Thomas Pyne and granddaughter Mallory Davis. He is surved by his wife Lois; children Carollynn, David and Robert and their spouses James Davis, Pamela Pyne and Julie Pyne; grandchildren Stephen, Daniel, Benjamin and Rebecca Pyne, Jeffrey and Jennifer Pyne, and Richard Davis; and great-grandson Milo Davis. He was close to his nieces and nephews, especially niece Madeline Palisca of Scottsdale. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, February 25, at 1 pm at the Terraces of Phoenix, 7550 N. 16th St., Phoenix, followed by a reception. Arrangements entrusted to Messinger Indian School Mortuary.