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STACEY, JAMES W., 98

(by Week of Sept. 24, 2008 - September 24, 2008)
STACEY, JAMES W., 98, of Berlin, passed away September 13, at Woodridge Nursing Home. Mr. Stacey passed peacefully, with his family at his side, while listening to the music of Glenn Miller. Mr. Stacey was born in Barre, on Sept. 23, 1919, the only child of Ernest and Ruby Monet Stacey. He attended school in Barre and entered pilot training earning his wings on June 25th, 1941. This started a lifelong passion for aviation. After the outbreak of World War II, he volunteered for the newly formed 82nd Airborne Division and trained as a demolition parachutist. As a volunteer, he participated in experiments to determine the lowest possible altitude from which a fully loaded parachutist could be dropped into combat and survive. He sustained multiple injuries preventing him from continuing in that role. After recovery, he joined the Army Air Corp and later the U.S. Air Force. While on leave, he visited Chicago, Illinois and met his future wife, Mildred Campione. She was a volunteer at the Chicago USO and it was love at first sight. They corresponded throughout the war and were married after the war's conclusion. They settled in Berlin, and had one child, Gary Stacey. Mr. Stacey spent many years in the granite industry. After his retirement, he found great pleasure in becoming a Montpelier school bus driver. He enjoyed the daily routine with the students, parents and teachers. After his second retirement, James and Mildred moved to Scituate, Mass., for about five years. They enjoyed being near their son but felt Vermont was their true home, and returned to Berlin in 1998. Mr. Stacey's great love of flying led him to lifelong correspondence with many of the world's pioneers in aviation. In the 1950's, Barre-Montpelier was served by Northeast Airlines which flew DC-3's, the commercial version of the C-47 which he jumped from as a paratrooper. He always enjoyed the shocked look on the flight attendants' faces when he told them he had taken off over 35 times in the plane but never landed. Mildred began showing the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease a little over ten years ago. James became her devoted caregiver. He reluctantly allowed Mildred to move to Woodridge Nursing Home in October of 2007. Within a week of her move, James' health rapidly declined and he was hospitalized. Shortly thereafter, he also moved to Woodridge and shared a room with Mildred. He is survived by his son Gary and wife Elizabeth of Marshfield, Mass., a sister-in-law, Marie Campione of Englewood, Col., and a niece and nephews.