Mr. Thomas James Maconkey Jr.

Thomas James "Jim" Maconkey, Jr., age 73 of Landrum, S.C., passed away on Friday, April 13, 2018 at Greenville Memorial Hospital. He died peacefully due to the complications from lung cancer.

Jim was born on the Fourth of July, 1944 in New York City to Thomas and Ella (Westervelt) Maconkey, Sr. He grew up in Montvale, N.J., graduating from Pascack Valley Regional High School in 1962. Jim attended the University of Rochester on a Navy ROTC scholarship and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

On June 5, 1966, he was commissioned into the US Navy and received his Naval Aviator wings in October 1967. Jim joined Attack Squadron 165 at NAS Whidbey Island, WA flying the A-6 Intruder completing over 1,000 flying hours. He made two Southeast Asia deployments aboard the USS Ranger and the USS America. Although Jim rarely spoke about his experiences as a Vietnam combat veteran, he was a proud patriot and proud of his service to his country.

In 1973, Jim was given the opportunity to realize a personal goal he had set for himself when he was hired by the Flight Department at American Airlines. For the next thirty years he was "livin' the dream" flying American Airlines jets all over the world. It was on one of these trips in 1982, that Jim met an American Airlines Flight Attendant named Gail. They had so much fun on that 3 day trip that they married on November 5, 1983 in Hurst, TX. Jim retired as a B-777 Captain flying international routes, mostly to Japan, in May 2003.

By the late 1990's, Jim had grown weary of the Texas heat and decided to look for an area with golf courses and cooler temperatures. In 2000, Gail and Jim moved to the beautiful mountain community, The Cliffs at Glassy, in Landrum, South Carolina. Jim never tired of the gorgeous mountain views off his back deck. He was compulsive about keeping his bird feeders full so that no bird would go hungry. The arrival of the first hummingbird of the season was celebrated. Gail and Jim spent many happy hours in the summer evenings outside by the hummer feeders watching their flying antics.

Jim was a collector of Civil War memorabilia, loved Corvettes and golf. If he wasn't playing golf, he was watching it on the television or reading about it in a golf magazine. He and Gail traveled to Ireland numerous times to play the courses there and enjoy a post round Guinness. Jim was lucky enough to have five holes in one. But his greatest golf moment was the day he was privileged to play a round at Augusta National Golf Course. Just the memory of that day would bring a tear to his eyes.

Jim is survived by his wife, Gail and their rescue cats, Boo and Bailey of Landrum. His sister, Margaret Palella of Montvale, N.J. Nephew David (Shawna) of Mesa, CO and niece, Gail Hunter of Montvale, N.J. Grandnieces Brianna and Kylie and grandnephews Brian and Tristan.

As Jim requested, there will be no memorial service. Memorials may be made to a local animal rescue Jim supported, Pet Tender Angels, P.O. Box 6691, Greenville, S.C. 29606.

Jim had brilliant blue eyes that twinkled as he was getting ready to say something sassy - which was often. Then he would smile and laugh. The world will be a more quiet place without his laughter.

In keeping with a time honored tradition of the Navy, wishing Jim "fair winds and following seas" . . . and that sixth hole in one!