James Chaffin, 87, of Melbourne, Florida, passed away on December 21, 2013. He was born in Detroit, Michigan on March 29, 1926 and moved to Orlando, Florida in 1929. He graduated from Orlando High School in 1943 and was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1944. He served in Europe during the war and was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. After his discharge, he enrolled at Tennessee Tech and graduated in 1950 with a degree in Accounting. He rejoined the army in 1951 and served in Germany for three years. In December 1954, he took a job with Pan American Airways at Patrick Air Force Base near Cocoa Beach and held various managerial positions in the Accounting Department until his retirement in 1987. He is survived by his wife, the former Mary Huddleston, a Cookeville native, his son James Jr., both of Melbourne and several in-laws and cousins in Putnam County.
There will be a gathering for family and friends at Algood United Methodist Church Saturday March 8th at 2PM.