James Frederick Foye

James Frederick Foye died July 19. He was 78.

James Frederick Foye passed away on July 19 after a valiant battle with symptoms related to a neurological disease. He was 78. Born in Chicago and the first-born child of Ann and Frederick Foye, his family moved to Weymouth, Massachusetts where his brothers Tom, Paul, Rick and sister Margaret “Peggy” where born.  His work ethic started at very young age by delivering newspapers, working at a donut shop and also as a golf caddie to help his family.  

Foye joined the Air Force at the age of 18 and continued to send money back to his family.  He was stationed in Athens, Greece when he met and married Helen “Nitsa” after only six months of knowing each other, but together in adventures and marriage for 56 years. He remained in the Air Force for over eight years and was in combat during the Vietnam War. He and Helen moved stateside to Massachusetts, where their son Chris was born. They moved to California, had a daughter Denise and moved to the Bay Area.

After an honorable discharge from the Air Force, he became an airplane instructor at San Mateo College.  He wrote and published the very first aeronautics dictionary to help students learn the complexities of airplanes.  His passion to learn and teach others continued throughout his career and retired from Lawrence Livermore Lab only recently. 

He was laid to rest at the Veteran’s National Cemetery in Dixon.