(May 5, 1934 – January 18, 2024)
We mourn the loss of 89-year-old Jimmie Chevrier of Maple Valley, WA, who passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family, on January 18, 2024. His wit, sharp mind, and exceptional memory will be missed greatly by all who knew him.
Jim, or ‘Chev’ as he liked to be called, was a man of great accomplishments, and served faithfully and loyally in the service of his country for nearly 27 years. He was born in Akron, OH on May 5, 1934. After graduating from Buchtel High School in 1953, he joined the United States Air Force. Shortly afterward he was stationed in Germany where he met a woman on a blind date, Inge Ruppenthal, who would later become his wife. During his career he served on various ground radar sites and flew as a Radar Crew Chief on the EC-121D/T Lockheed Warning Star. This service included two tours of Vietnam, including the Son Tay Raid, which was the original attempt at extracting the POWs from Vietnam.
He was among the first radar operators assigned to the E-3 flight test team at The Boeing Company in Seattle, WA, to flight-test the E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS). During his service career, and among the long list of awards and decorations, he earned Command Air Crew Member Wings with more than 6,000 flying hours in 16 years of flying status. After his distinguished military career The Boeing Company employed him as a Human Factors Analyst for 15 years before his retirement.
Jim is preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Inge, and survived by his children, Patty John (Ron), Mark Chevrier, and Jimmie Chevrier, Jr. (Adam Colvin), brother, Bill Chevrier (Pat), grandchildren, Ian Albright, Christopher John (Lynn), Katarina Barrows (Don), and Dakota Chevrier, and great-grandchildren Evelyn, Adalind, and Kalianna.
Following the rendering of full military honors on February 9, 2024, Jim’s ashes were laid to rest, with his wife Inge, at the Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, WA.
We celebrate Jim’s life, remembering his invaluable contributions, sense of humor and his spirit with a memorial party on April 13, 2024, 1:00-5:00, at Cedarbrook Lodge in Seattle, WA. Please RSVP to Patty John, no later than March 30th, to ChevCelebrationOfLife@gmail.com.
In lieu of flowers the family is suggesting a donation to any of the following organizations:
https://fisherhouse.org/
