Joyce Wainscott
Spend much time around Jim Brewer and you will discover two things: he does not enjoy talking about himself, and you will probably hear a joke. Jim delivers both humor and friendship with the quick smile that has made him one of SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary’s most approachable members. What he rarely mentions is the remarkable life behind that smile.
Born in West Texas in 1949 to parents shaped by the Great Depression, Jim followed a different path from many children. Ask what made the greatest difference in his life, however, and he does not hesitate: the Marine Corps.
Two days after high-school graduation, Jim boarded a bus for boot camp. The Corps gave a quiet young man confidence, discipline, leadership and belief in what he could accomplish. Testing revealed an exceptional aptitude for air traffic control—launching a career spanning military service, aviation, aerospace and America’s space program.
After Air Traffic Control School in Brunswick, Georgia, Jim was assigned to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro in California. During eight years in the Marines, he served primarily in California, with assignments in Southeast Asia and Tennessee. There he married Betty Jo. More than 55 years later, they are still writing that story together, having raised two daughters and built a life grounded in family and adventure.
After leaving the Marines, Jim planned to attend law school while working as an FAA air traffic controller. Then history intervened: the 1981 air traffic controllers’ strike abruptly ended that career. Following two years as a police and fire dispatcher, an unexpected call from Rockwell International changed everything.
Rockwell was building the emerging Global Positioning System. Jim immersed himself in satellite testing, systems engineering, orbital dynamics, space logistics and launch operations. His expertise eventually made him one of a team of technical advisors to the United States Air Force on GPS satellite operations—work that took him to Colorado Springs for 30 years. His career culminated as Backup Chief Engineer at Cape Canaveral, helping ensure satellites were ready for launch.
Today, GPS powers aviation, emergency response, shipping, agriculture, financial networks, telecommunications and the smartphone in nearly every pocket. Billions rely on technology Jim helped bring from concept to reality. Few can say their work changed how the world navigates. Jim can. He simply is not likely to tell you.
Retirement brought Jim and Betty Jo to SaddleBrooke in 2018. He joined SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary in 2023 and quickly became active in projects serving Arizona’s Copper Corridor. Rotary is the newest chapter in a life devoted to service. If work needs doing, Jim is probably already there—without seeking recognition and usually with a joke, although a few may deserve to remain classified Marine Corps material.
Marine. Air traffic controller. Dispatcher. Technical advisor. Backup Chief Engineer. Rotarian. Those titles tell an impressive story, but one word tells it best: service. Not bad for a man who still insists he does not like talking about himself.