Obituary of James Andrew McGregor

James A. McGregor, Private Pilot and Entrepreneur James A. McGregor, 93, of Bernardsville, NJ (and Hague, NY) died on Wednesday, October 5th at Shady Acres Nursing Home in West Kingston, RI. He was born in Milton Mass, on January 1, 1918 to James Andrew Garfield McGregor and Mary Alice Flanagan McGregor. His sister Margaret McGregor Goguen of Plymouth, MA predeceased him. He grew up in Syracuse, NY and lived in Roslindale and Boston MA, before moving to NJ. Jim graduated from Hyde Park High School, Roslindale MA in 1935. He explored in various areas of employment eventually focusing on precision electronics, microwave testing equipment and wave-guides for the communications industry. During WWII he was employed by the Navy and working in the radiation lab at MIT developing radar systems for the military. Through mergers, acquisitions and consolidations he leaves two thriving companies, Waveline Inc. in Fairfield, NJ and Microtech Inc. in Cheshire CT. His two sons now run the companies. Jim was a life long volunteer and member of the Caldwell-West Essex Kiwanis Club, Essex Fells Country Club, vice president of the New Jersey Pilots association, and the board of directors of the Somerset Hills YMCA. His primary passion was in private aviation and was a private pilot for over fifty years. In 1969 Jim achieved a general aviation speed record, flying from Chicago, IL to Newark, NJ in just 2 hours and 46 minutes. Jim loved photography, was an avid golfer and a licensed amateur radio operator for over seventy-five years. Jim is survived by his wife Eileen Kelly McGregor of Wakefield RI, as well as his eight children; Ellen McGregor of Madison, NH; James A. McGregor Jr. of Cheshire CT; Pam Semanchick of NJ; Elaine Sosnowski of Toms River NJ; Marion Symczyk of NJ; Jay McGregor of Wantage, NJ; Bonnie Considine of Narragansett, RI and Colleen Straubel of Dallas, Texas. He had 17 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren He was a long time parishioner of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Bernardsville. Funeral services will held at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Bernardsville NJ on Wednesday, October 12th at 11:00 am followed by entombement in Holy Cross Cemetery, Basking Ridge, NJ. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Diabetes Association, 1701 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22311 - www.diabetes.org or Alzheimer's Disease Research, American Health Assistance Foundation,?22512 Gateway Center Drive?Clarksburg, Maryland 20871 - www.ahaf.org.