James Robert Tichenor III was born in Louisville, KY, on 30 May 1938 to Mary Elizabeth Shawler Tichenor and James Robert Tichenor, Jr. He graduated from Eastern High School in Louisville in 1956. He then entered West Point and graduated 69th in his class of 550 in 1960. A note from his roommate, Russ Baldwin, states, “As a cadet, Jim was a classmate everyone admired. He genuinely liked and respected everyone. Academically gifted, he was modest of his Dean’s List standing and was always ready to help others in their studies. His many tal­ents made him a natural for the many and diverse extracurricular activities in which he participated, to include his leading role in the creation of the 1960 Howitzer. He was the best anyone could hope for as a roommate, and a lifelong friend as well.”

He trained to be a Ranger and a para­trooper and started his career in Germany in the Cavalry but soon discovered Ordnance was more to his liking and changed branch­es. He then was assigned to the Belgian Congo in 1964 as a liaison officer. Following that assignment, he attended and graduated first in his class at the Naval Post Graduate School at Monterey, CA, in nuclear phys­ics in 1967. His next assignment was to Vietnam, where he served as both a captain and a major during Tet 1967–68. Following that assignment he was stationed at Sandia Base during 1968–70 (at the time Field Command, DASA) to utilize his master’s degree. He was then assigned to Picatinny Arsenal, where he worked on the 2.75 rocket system during 1970–72. He graduated from the Armed Forces Staff College in 1973 and was sent to Saudi Arabia to act as a liaison for the building of an ordnance depot for the Saudis in 1973. His next assignment was to Ft. Belvoir with the Defense Systems Management School. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel and then assigned to Germany, where he was first stationed at U.S. Army Europe headquarters and later com­manded the 708th Maintenance Battalion in Baumholder, Germany. His second tour in Germany was from 1976 to 1979. He taught a course at the Command & General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, KS, from 1980 to 1981. Next came an assignment in South Korea during 1981–83 with the 19th Support Command. Finally, he was assigned to Ft. Monroe, VA, as the chief logistics assis­tance officer in 1983, after which he retired in 1986. His chief claim to fame was that he retired as a full colonel without ever having served at the Pentagon.

Jim was initially married in 1961 to Loralyn Higgins. They had three children (Mark, Eric and Dana) but divorced upon his return from Vietnam. He then married Patricia Tichenor in 1970 and considered her to be his lifelong wife, companion, best friend and partner. They first worked on and started Fassifern Bed & Breakfast in Lexington, VA, until 1989, when they sold it and bought Oak Spring Farm Bed & Breakfast in Raphine, not far from Lexington, complete with ani­mals, hay, extensive gardens and a vineyard. They worked hard to restore the house and grounds and managed to do quite well with the vineyard. One year the sale of grapes net­ted them enough to buy a new car. The house and outbuildings were placed on the State and National Register for Historic Properties in hopes it would preserve them. Realizing they had overextended themselves and wanting to get out of the B&B business, they found an old log house and moved it from its original location in Greenville, VA, to a beautiful 26 acre site overlooking the South River and be­yond the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Jim was general contractor on the job and moved into the house with dog and wife in 1995. The house was written up and given an award by Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

Even before 1995, Jim and his wife Pat were heavily involved in local affairs. They did a visioning effort called Imagine Rockbridge for a couple of years. Jim was on the planning commission for the county, serving for eight years. He also started and ran a local nonprofit clearinghouse that provides information of all sorts to local residents. At the time of his death, he was president of the Rockbridge Electoral Board and webmaster for the local Arts Guild while serving on its board. He did encaustic art and paintings. But then came his great love of photography. He won numerous awards for his camera work and was on the board of the Camera Club. Throughout this period of time he and his wife did a great deal of traveling overseas and to see family and friends. He had a good life and went out the way he wanted, working on his beloved property on 12 May 2009.

—Patricia A. Tichenor, wife