WILMINGTON — James “Jim” John Frimmel, Sr., 90, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021. Jim Frimmel was a Renaissance Man in many ways with his varied career, extensive travel, his art of eye and ear, his loyalty to baseball and dogs, appreciation of good food, an intense interest in shortwave radio and ancestry research, and his enjoyment of gathering with friends and family.
Jim Frimmel was born Oct. 23, 1931 in Jersey City, NJ, of parents John “Skeets” Frimmel and Katherine “Kay” (McFadden) Frimmel. He developed his lifelong love of baseball as a child when he lived in Brooklyn and would play hooky to watch the Brooklyn Dodgers. He later become a fan of the NY Yankees and Texas Rangers. In Jun. 1949 he graduated from Daniel P. Sweeney High School in Bayonne, NJ.
Jim’s first job was in Manhattan at Standard Brands, Inc., where he stayed until enlisting in the Air Force in 1951. Stationed at DOW Air Force Base, Bangor, Maine, he received photography training, which impacted both his professional and personal life. While stationed at Carswell AFB, Fort Worth, TX, Jim met Beverly Louise Thompson at a USO dance, and they were married in 1954, a marriage which lasted 48 years until her death in 2002. In Fort Worth they added to their family with sons, James “Jim” John, Jr. and Mark Christopher.
The next twenty years of service were full of diverse travel and work. Jim’s record comprised of: Brady (Itazuke) AFB, Fukuoka, Japan 1958-61 (aerial photography); Kelly AFB, San Antonio, TX 1961-65 (training cadets); Pentagon 1965-69 (serving Joint Chiefs of Staff); Caserma Ederle, Vicenza, Italy 1969-74 (NATO), Washington D.C. 1974-75. Multiple times he received recognition for his service, including the Air Force Good Conduct Medal and Small Arms Expert Marksmanship in 1964, the Detachment 9 Commander’s Award in 1973, the Meritorious Service Medal in 1974, and the Air Force Commendation Medal in 1975. Jim retired Sep. 1, 1975 with the rank of Master Sergeant.
As a civilian, Jim worked at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., declassifying film and files from WWII and the Korean War. In 1980 he received a Commendable Service Award for developing a new training program. It was while working here that he gained an interest in genealogy and often spent his lunch breaks researching family history. He and his wife Beverly both retired and moved back to the Fort Worth area in 1982.
During his “retirement”, Jim became involved in shortwave radio. He won acclaim for his computer program Shortwave Navigator and earned the WRTH (World Radio TV Handbook) 1989 industry award for Most Innovative Software. The Apple Macintosh-based program gave users frequency and program schedules for international English language broadcasts, also allowing for computer control of multiple radios and recording audio off air. He was Program Manager on the editorial staff of the Monitoring Times and attended multiple Programming Conferences.
In 2004 Jim married a second time to Myrna Jeanette Kidd. They enjoyed 15 years of marriage until her death in 2019. Since retiring in 1982, Jim continued traveling either with family or with long-time friends, Don and Charlene Heitman of Colorado. Since 2020 he resided at Morningside of Wilmington, NC, close to family.
“Time stays long enough for anyone who will use it.” – Leonardo da Vinci
Survivors: siblings Ronnie Claire (Michael) Caposello, Merry Frimmel, John Frimmel; children Mark (Jerilyn) Frimmel, Jim (Irina) Frimmel, Jr. and grandchildren with Sam (Frank) Frimmel: Anna (Brandon) Echols, Joy Frimmel, Danielle (Andy) Powers, Gloria (Charlie) Thorpe; great-grandchildren Gabriel, Jonah and Rose Powers; step-children Becky Graves, Mike (Marsha) Cassle, Casey Evans; as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, other family and friends.
A memorial service will be held Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021 at 2:30 PM at Andrews Mortuary Valley Chapel at 4108 S. College Rd., Wilmington, NC. A graveside service in Irving, TX, at DFW National Cemetery will be announced at a later date.
Memorial donations may be made to the USO at uso.org/donate.
