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MEMORIAL ARTICLE
Published Assembly Pending
JAMES EMMETT WIRRICK * '46
No. 15938 * 14 Sep 1921 - 21 Nov 1999
Died in Fairfield, CA * Cremated, ashes scattered in Fairfield
Cemetery, Fairfield, CA |
JAMES EMMETT WIRRICK was born in Utah but grew
up in Dee, OR. He graduated from Hood River,OR High School about
15 miles from Dee. He attended Whitman College in Walla Walla,
WA for two years and the U of OR for one year before gaining
his appointment to West Point. He joined the Class of 1946 on
1 July 1943.
After graduating a 2nd lieutenant in the Field Artillery, Jim
served in the Army of Occupation in Japan from 1947 to 1949.
It was there that he met Helene ( Winky) Paquet (daughter of
Leo C. Paquet, '21) who was working in Japan.
From Japan, Jim returned to the States to serve as a battery
commander at Ft Bliss, TX. Jim and Winky were married in 1950
in Corona del Mar, CA, where her mother lived. After attending
the Artillery School at Fort Sill, OK, Jim served in the Korean
War with the 159th FA Battalion where he earned the Bronze Star
medal, Distinguished Unit Citation and Navy Unit Commendation.
Jim graduated from C& GS in 1956, served on the Army General
Staff from 1956 - 1960 and received his Master of Science degree
from the U of Miami in 1962. He taught Special Forces at Ft Bragg,
NC for three years then went to Australia as Senior US Representative
to the Standardization effort of the Armies of the US, UK, Canada,
Australia and New Zealand. When Jim retired from the Army in
1971 as a colonel, he was Chief of the International Division
of Army Research and Development in the Pentagon.
Following retirement from the Army, Jim and Winky moved to the
Carmel Peninsula of CA where they lived for 27 years. In this
period, Jim owned and operated a printing shop, built a small
apartment house and worked with the YMCA As he became fully retired,
Jim played golf extensively and continued his avocations, writing,
playing the piano and creating wood art. In 1998, Jim and Winky
moved to the Paradise Valley Estates in Fairfield, CA. In the
summer of 1998, Jim developed cancer and died 21 November 1999.
Survivors include his wife, Winky, sons, James and Michael, and
daughter, Karen.
The mark of a man is best displayed by how he is remembered
by his family and friends. That Jim was remarkable is depicted
in these comments from those who knew and loved him.
Classmate, Ed Morgan, wrote: "Jim Wirrick was the kind
of person you prized as a friend. He was as loyal as they come
and was generous to a fault. No favor was too great. He had a
great sense of humor - was always fun to be around. He was a
cracker jack writer - could make the English language sound symphonic.
Where and how does one end a piece like this? To know Jim Wirrick
was to love, respect and admire him and to enjoy being in his
company. Perhaps that says it all pretty well."
Classmate, Bob Cramer, recalled: "Jim and I became friends
during the Officer's Basic Course at Ft. Sill and Ft Bliss. He
was out going, fun loving, with a great sense of humor and quick
to smile. That friendship, which grew as each of us were married,
was a relationship that Rutti and I will treasure always."
Friend, Bill Stoneberg, remembered: "Although I knew Jim
for less than two years, both Nancy and I think of him as one
of the best friends we ever had. Not at all unusual when you
consider:
'We played golf together at least once a week. Jim started 'Go
Away Thursday,' a revolving group of four golfers who play a
different course each week.
'Jim was one of a different group of four men who implemented
an idea to decorate the walls of our Club Room as 'The Wall of
Remembrance' including photographs and memorabilia from WWII,
Korea and Vietnam, in which many of our community served.
'Jim had an acerbic sense of humor and was a writer of many
articles of note. People around here upon receiving their morning
paper quickly perused the editorial pages for submissions from
Jim on things political and/or apolitical or whatever was on
his mind.
'Most important about Jim, it seems, was his talent for meeting
and befriending people. He was a friend to all."
Jim's loving wife, Winky, wrote: "My remembrances of Jim
are of a really great husband, good father. It was a very happy
marriage with lots of laughter. He was terribly bright, played
the piano beautifully and created extraordinary wood art. I miss
him."
With his remarks, Jim Stoneberg sent along Jim Wirrick's final
contribution to the local newspaper, his obituary. It tells a
lot about our friend and classmate:
"Peace in the Valley
And now friends, I'm told it is time to go. So I shall -- but
not before thanking you for your many cards, notes, calls, flowers,
candy and expressions of sympathy and concern.
Truly, Jim"
To these expressions of praise from family and friends, the
Class of 1946 is proud to say those words that would mean so
much to our classmate: "Well Done, Jim; Be Thou At Peace!"
'46 Memorial Article Project and his wife, Winky
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