From Burns Mortuary of Hermiston:
James Milton “Jim” Headrick, 94, of Stanfield, Oregon died Friday, February 25, 2011 at Good Shepherd Medical Center in Hermiston, Oregon. Mr. Headrick was born January 14, 1917 in Clarendon, Texas to parents, James Henry & Mertie Alice (Cope) Headrick. He graduated from Clarendon High School at age 15. Also at age 15, he started enjoying his favorite hobby – using a Ham Radio and Morse Code to talk to people all over the world. Mr. Headrick’s call sings were W5CPB-W5CPT, N5CPB and lastly W3CP. He continued using the Ham Radio until December 2010.
Mr. Headrick joined the Naval Reserves at age 17 and later served in the Navy during World War II. He continued his education at the University of Texas and received a BS degree in Electrical Engineering in 1939. He married Dorris “Dolly” Geyer in 1943. They had one child, a daughter named Karen born on February 25, 1946.
Mr. Headrick started working at the Naval Research Lab in Washington, DC in 1941. He went back to school at the University of Maryland and received his Masters of Science degree in 1949. Mr. Headrick and his family lived in Washington, DC for four years then moved to College Park, Maryland for nine years then moved to Beltsville, Maryland until 2003. He worked at the Naval Research Lab full time until 1993 and continued to work part-time at the Naval Research Lab until 2009.
In the fall of 2003 Mr & Mrs. Headrick moved to Stanfield, Oregon to live close to their daughter and son-in-law. They enjoyed 63 years of marriage which ended upon the death of Dolly Headrick in October, 2003.
Mr. Headrick was selected as the recipient of the 2011 I.E.E.E. Dennis J. Picard Medal for Radar Technologies and Applications. He received this award posthumously during the I.E.E.E. Honor Ceremony held in San Francisco, California.
James Headrick is survived by his Daughter, Karen Eveland and Son-in-law, David S. Eveland of Stanfield, OR; Grandchildren, James L. Eveland of Laurel, MD, Julianne Eveland of Spokane, WA, David J. Eveland of Bend, OR; Great-grandchildren, Megan Marie Eveland and Luke David Eveland.