Henry Jameson

Raleigh, North Carolina - Henry Chester Jameson, Jr. of Springmoor passed away on May 8th, 2012 at the age of 85. He was born August 18, 1926 in Vivian, Louisiana. He was known to his family as Chet, but was later nicknamed “Jamie” by his Naval Academy classmates. His mother, Myrtle, was a homemaker and his father, Henry, Sr., an oil well inspector. Jamie was one of 5 children; he had three older brothers, John Coleman “J.C.”, Malvy, and Charles Lee, and one younger sister, Ida. Jamie attended Prairie Valley Elementary School, as well as Prairie Valley High School, in Nocona, Texas, where he was on the lacrosse team. He enjoyed keeping in touch with his former classmates and attended high school reunions well into his 70’s. After graduating from high school in 1943, he worked at North American Aviation helping to build B-24 and P-51 aircraft. In 1946 he joined the Navy and was promoted to the rating AT2. He then accepted a Fleet appointment to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland in 1948. He graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering in 1952. Upon graduation, he served his first sea duty as ASW Officer on the USS Chevalier (DDR-805). He helped commission the USS Plymouth Rock (LSD-29) in Pascagoula, Mississippi in 1954, and served on board as Navigation Officer until 1956. From the Plymouth Rock he was ordered to Beach Jumper Unit Two and spent two years as Operations Officer. He entered the US Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, and graduated with a Masters Degree in Electronic Engineering in 1961. He became a full member of Sigma Xi, the honorary Scientific Research Society, after distinguishing himself in academic research. In 1962, he became Executive Officer on board the USS O’Hare (DD-889). After four more years in destroyer escorts and destroyers, he spent a tour on Staff, Operational Test and Evaluation Force. From there, on to two years at NavSec and then to a final tour at NavSea. He retired from the Navy in 1972 with the rank of Commander, and for the next 16 years he worked as a contractor supporting NavSec and NavSea. His last position was Head of Engineering at EG&G, when he retired in 1988. During his naval career, he traveled extensively, from Korea and Japan to the Mediterranean Sea, and was a veteran of the Korean War. Jamie and his wife Edna “Nita” Dolores Francescani met on a blind date at Annapolis, where they married the day after he graduated from USNA in 1952. They had four daughters, twins, JoAnne and Gail, followed by Doris, then Linda. They were married for 60 years. Jamie was a devoted husband and father, and was well loved by family and friends. He had a great sense of humor and was an avid dog lover. He enjoyed music, reading, cooking, puzzles, and relished joking with his daughters. He built a cabin in the Jemez Mountains in New Mexico, where he and Nita would spend their summers entertaining friends. They lived in Northern Virginia for 38 years and moved to Raleigh, North Carolina in 2006. He is survived by his wife, Nita; children: JoAnne and Bob Cottone (Raleigh,NC), Gail Fleet Ausley (Raleigh, NC), Doris and Carl Porter (Granville, OH), Linda and George Thompson (Springfield, VA); brother, Malvy Jameson (Austin, TX) and sister, Ida Morton (Weatherford, TX); grandchildren: David and Paul Cottone (Raleigh, NC), Jamie (Porter) and Craig Church (St. Catherine's, Ontario, Canada), Merrilee Fleet (Raleigh, NC), Kelly (Fleet) and Lee Bratina (Sugarland, TX), and Jason Porter (Columbus, OH). There is one great- grandchild, Abigale Bratina (Sugarland, TX), and one more on the way. He is predeceased by his parents and two brothers, J.C. and Charles Lee. A Memorial Service will be held on Sunday, May 13th at 2:30 p.m. at Springmoor. A burial service will be held at Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington Virginia. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Compassion International, PO Box 65000, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80921-3668 (www.compassion.com)

Henry Jameson

August 18, 1926 - May 8, 2012