James William Buttram

James William Buttram, 88, of Nashville, TN, formally of Marietta, died Thursday May 10, 2018. A funeral service will be held in the chapel of Mayes Ward-Dobbins Funeral Home, Marietta, GA, on Saturday May 19,2018 at 11:00 am. Jim was the oldest of six children of A. G. and Evelyn Buttram. He is preceded in death by his wife of 58 years Jane Price Buttram, brothers John Wayne Buttram and Virgil Duran Buttram and sister Martha Ann Buttram along with his parents. He enjoyed a long aviation career starting in the Air Force in 1949. He graduated with highest honors in his class from the Airplane and Engine Mechanics School at Sheppard Field in Wichita Falls, Texas. He began work at Lockheed in Marietta, Georgia in 1953 where he had a career as instructor, test pilot and pilot, flying the largest planes ever built all over the world. His father scraped enough money together to pay for the two of them to take an airplane ride in a Stinson Tri-Motor and the dream of being a pilot was born. His dream almost didn’t happen because he lacked the required flight time, but fate stepped in, Lockheed offered him a job transfer to Zambia, Africa for six months where he flew as a co-pilot of a cargo plane to gain the experience he needed. His faithful wife Jane went with him and helped every step of the way. He was active in the Civil Air Patrol and in February, 1963 assisted in the recovery of a Beechcraft Debonair missing for 12 days. Once the plane was spotted, he hovered over the sight to direct ground crews. He lost his cabin heat and the cockpit temperature dropped to 20 degrees. Due to the terrain, he had to maintain considerable altitude in order to keep in contact with ground parties. He flew over the area and talked with the ground crew for over an hour before he returned to base numbed with cold and physically exhausted from his continuous fight with the elements. After retirement from Lockheed, he worked as Manager of Hercules Flight Training Center where pilots were trained on flight simulators. He retired from there but continued to be a flight simulator instructor until he was 82 years old. He was the Associate Editor and contributor for Lockheed’s Service News. He loved reading and music. He played clarinet, guitar, banjo, piano, trumpet and organ. He wrote three unpublished western novels. Jim earned an associate degree in business administration from Kennesaw State University. He was an elder and taught the Men’s Sunday School class at Glen Leven Presbyterian Church in Nashville, TN. He is survived by his wife of eight years, Priscilla Babin Buttram of Nashville, TN, sisters Margaret Buchanan (Richard) of Westminster, SC, Pamela Hudson (Billy) of Mableton, GA and many nieces and nephews. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 10:00 am until 11:00 am at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Glen Leven Presbyterian Church, 3906 Franklin Pike, Nashville, TN 37204

James William Buttram

December 6, 1929 - May 10, 2018