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1924 James 2017

James McAleer Spittel

November 29, 1924 — November 18, 2017

James M. Spittel of Crystal Lake, formally of Woodstock, and Catonsville and Kensington, MD passed away on November 18, 2017 at Centegra Hospital - McHenry. He was born on November 29, 1924 to Robert and Geneva Spittel in Baltimore, MD.

Jim grew up in Catonsville attending both the Catonsville Elementary and High Schools.  Upon graduation in 1942, he joined the Rheem Mfg. Co in Baltimore before enlisting in the US Navy in Jan 1943.

As a Sonar Operator, Jim served aboard 2 Destroyer Escort ships, the USS J. Richard Ward, DE-243 and the USS Eisner, DE-192.  After two years and ten crossings of the Atlantic Ocean doing convoy duty then succeeded by some shore duty, he was Honorably Discharged on February 3, 1946.

On September 8, 1947, Jim joined Minneapolis Honeywell Regulator Co. in Baltimore.  In early 1949, he was assigned to the Washington DC branch as an Application Engineer.  While in this capacity he was given the task of project engineer for Honeywell on the 1950 renovation of the White House . This entailed engineering Honeywell controls as the first commercial centrally automated environmental control system in the United States.

On January 24, 1948 Jim married Mary Jane “Janie” (O'Donnell).  She preceded him in death in 2011.

In 1973 Jim was reassigned to the Arlington Heights, IL Honeywell factory and engineering facility as a Project Manager for central automated control systems in locations such as Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Texas A&M University and Harvard University.

After retirement in 1985,  Jim and Janie started a new adventure of RVing where they towed  Holiday Rambler trailers some 213,000 miles in all 48 continental states, 13 states in Mexico and 10 Provenience in Canada. In 2002 he settled down in Crystal Lake caring for Janie and playing bridge.

Jim is survived by four children; J, Craig, Barbara Ann, Judith M. (Smith) and Timothy O.; two grandchildren, Teresa Lynn (Smith) Armolt and Chad Smith; three great grandchildren, Piper Armolt, Hunter Armolt and Archer Armolt.

Visitation will be Friday, November 24 from 4-8 PM at Davenport Family Funeral Home and Crematory, 419 E. Terra Cotta Ave. (Route 176), Crystal Lake.    Visitation will continue at the funeral home from 10 am until the time of a service at 11 am on Saturday morning.   Burial will follow at Crystal Lake Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Destroyer Escort Historical Museum (DEHM), USS Slater DE176, P.O. Box 1926, Albany, NY 12201-1926.


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