James Howard Scifres

James Howard Scifres, 71, of Fairfax, VA, succumbed to his long valiant battle with cancer on Friday morning January 18, 2013 with his family by his side.

Along with his wife, Gyneth, and her two daughters, he is survived by his son, Thomas, Head of Men’s and Women’s Rowing at Iona College of New Rochelle, NY; his daughters, Christy Burns Ford of Memphis, TN, Elisabeth Hurford Tucker of Concord, NH, and Heather Hurford of Sunnyvale, CA; his sister, Marianne Scifres Hawkins, with her son, Wade, and his father, John, of Atlanta, GA; and his extended host of grandchildren.

“Jim” was an active duty regular officer of the United States Air Force, who retired a Major after having been selected for the rank of Lt. Colonel in 1985 after 22 years of service, assigned to Air Force Strategic Air and Systems Commands in manpower and financial management. Christy was born while he was stationed at Rammey AFB in Puerto Rico and Thomas was born on Andrews AFB in MD/DC.

Jim was born in Idabell, OK. He is the son of the late Odell and Mary Hargrave Scifres of West Helena, AR. Jim was a graduate of Arkansas State where he was a varsity athlete, and of Inter-American University in Puerto Rico where he received his MBA. He was an avid sports fan and history buff. He was proud of his extended grandchildren descending from four continents and all sides of the civil and revolutionary wars.

He enjoyed Chebeague with his family for many years and has kept up with his former in-laws and nephews, Elizabeth Shute and The Williams’ family of NY, NJ and Chebeague Island, ME.