James Vernon Mottley
Published 2:15 pm Thursday, October 22, 2015
James Vernon Mottley, January 4, 1934-August 24, 2015, was born at the Southside Community Hospital, Farmville, on January 4, 1934, a son of Harry E. and Thelma Garrett Mottley.
James was a good player in American Legion baseball. Loved playing shortstop, where the action was, he said.
He attended Fork Union Military Academy, Fork Union, and graduated as a Distinguished Military Graduate from VA Polytechnic Institute (VPI) in 1954 with a degree in Civil Engineering. He was the Company Commander of Company G, his senior year, and won the Kohler Cup while at Tech. After graduation, he was a 1st Lieutenant in the US Army and served in Germany. After returning home, he worked with RCA as a Civil Engineer and surveyed for the placement of Omni Ranges over the Northeastern States. He joined the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and became head of Airport Planning.
He attended University of Virginia (UVA) to work on his graduate degree in Civil Engineering. He also became a Certified Professional Engineer. After retiring from the FAA he worked briefly for the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) as an Engineer. James was a licensed pilot and loved flying.
He is survived his wife, Feliflor R. Mottley of Mineral; daughter, Joi M. McKinney (Guy) of Dallas, TX; grandsons, Travis and Matthew McKinney; son, James (Jay) V. Mottley II, of Mineral; sister, Carolyn M. Dixon (Wesley), of Las Cruses, NM; and a brother, Robert A. Mottley of Farmville. He was predeceased by his older brother, Harry E. Mottley Jr. (Anne), of Pittsfield, MA, in December, 2011.
Graveside services will be Saturday, Oct. 24, at 11 a.m. in Westview Cemetery, Farmville.
Shorter Funeral Home, Farmville, is serving the family.
www.shorterfuneralhome.com