James Lee Shipman, Jr.

James Lee Shipman, Jr., 68, of Aurora, passed away Nov. 7, 2018, at the Republic Rehabilitation Center in Republic. He was born Aug. 24, 1950, in Pensacola, Fla., to the late James Lee and Norma Jean (Magness) Shipman, Sr.
Shipman was a 1968 graduate of Radford High School in Honolulu, Hawaii and a 1972 graduate of Chaminade University in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was a United States Marine Corps veteran, where he was a fighter pilot and flew F4’s. He graduated first in his class from advanced flight training and was selected to go to the honorable Top Gun. He was the owner and operator of Shipman Farms and was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Aurora, for over 25 years, where he was an elder and served on the pastor nominating committee. In 1987, he married Patricia Ann Edmonson in Las Vegas, Nev.
Shipman is survived by: his wife of 31 years; children, James (Christiane) Shipman III of Austin, Texas, Sara (Brian) Kendrick and Kathryn Shipman all of Charlotte, N.C., Kimberly (Dave) Waldron of Springfield and Kristin Shipman of Ft. Worth, Texas; sister, Dianne Marchese of Laguna Niguel, Calif.; step-mother, June Shipman of Springfield;  step-sister, Jill Gold of Aurora; and five grandchildren.
A funeral service under the direction of the Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home in Aurora will be held at 11 a.m. Nov. 14, 2018, at the First Presbyterian Church in Aurora. A private burial will be held at a later date at the Orange Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. Nov. 13, 2018, in the funeral home chapel. Memorials may be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Aurora in care of the funeral home. Online condolences may be shared at www.CraftonCantrellFuneralHome.com.