James "Dick" R. Parsons died on Oct. 29. He was 77. He was born on Sept. 11, 1927, to Mildred Kress and Reginald Parsons, survivors of the great Johnstown Flood in Pennsylvania.

Parsons graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and had originally planned to become a mortician, but instead decided to enlist in the military. He served in the Navy in World War II, and then as a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force during the Korean War. After being stationed throughout the Pacific, he and his family settled in Saratoga.

In 1955, Parsons joined Pan American Airways as one of the first pilots to fly the newly introduced 707 and 747 commercial jet routes throughout the Pacific and the Orient. In his later years, the Atlantic was added to his routes, which included Europe, Africa and the Middle East. After 35 years with the airline, he retired in El Dorado with his family, and traveled throughout the United States and Canada in his motor home.

Parsons is survived by his wife of 51 years, Jessie D. Parsons; his daughters Janette Conlin of New York and Juliet Parsons-Betzel of New Jersey; his son Anthony Montez of California; four grandchildren; and his sister Mercedes Pryce of Ebensburg, Pa.

Arrangements were handled by the Memory Chapel of Placerville. A funeral mass was held on Nov. 4, and interment was in Saratoga on Nov. 5.