James Vincent Halloran III

On February16, 2021, James Vincent Halloran III, 78, died at home in Redondo Beach, CA after a long illness.

Jim attended St. Mary’s Grammar School and St. Mary’s High School in Greenwich, CT.  In 1964, Jim earned a BS in mechanical engineering at Catholic University, Washington, D.C.

After college, Jim spent four years in the USAF; stationed first in freezing Grand Forks, ND, where he worked on Minuteman missiles, and later, at Edwards AFB in the Mojave Desert of southern California, where he worked in the Rocket Lab. After earning the rank of USAF Captain, Jim took a three-month world backpacking tour, then went on to obtain his MBA at the University of Chicago.

In 1974, Jim married Barbara Case of Torrance, CA.  Jim and Barbara settled in the coastal community of Redondo Beach, CA.  While Barbara pursued a career as an academic librarian at Cal State LA, Jim worked as an engineer, marketing specialist and contracts administrator in the southern California aerospace industry.

Jim enjoyed flying sailplanes, windsurfing, boogie boarding and road cycling. His wife was also an avid cyclist and together they accomplished many long-distance bicycling vacations, the longest from the Canadian border to the Mexican border along the Pacific Coast (34 days). The couple also amused and intellectually entertained themselves with a variety of yearly independent and adventure travel experiences across the globe.  

After retirement, Jim pursued his lifelong passion for airplanes and aviation by first working on Project Tomahawk—the restoration of a WWII Curtiss P-40b fighter—at Zamperini Field in Torrance, CA; and later by volunteering at the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, CA, where he eventually earned the honor of serving as Head Docent.  

Jim was a lifelong, outspoken and avid Libertarian. He attributed most of the world’s ills to incompetent politicians and could argue endlessly about the waste of our tax dollars by local, state and national governments. The Libertarian Party asked him repeatedly to run for political office, but he always declined. He was an enthusiastic member of the Reason Foundation. He frequently attended their events, eagerly read and absorbed virtually all their literature, authored one of their papers, and provided feedback and research for many others.  

Jim is survived by Barbara Case, his wife of 47 years; by three of his four siblings, Michael, Mark (Ellen) and Meg (Anne); one niece and many nephews.  Jim’s brother Tim predeceased him.

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