James Franklin Madole

James Franklin Madole, 89, died October 29, 2003 at his home in Owensboro, Kentucky. He was born April 13, 1914 on a farm outside Barlow, Kentucky, the son of the late Frank and Bula Tabor Madole. He is survived by Georgetta Wilson Madole, his wife of 57 years, two sons, James Wilson Madole, of Owensboro, KY and John Davis Madole and his wife Teresa R. Madole and one granddaughter, Katherine Elizabeth Madole of Nashville, TN.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Merle L. Madole in 2001 and his Aunt, Nell Tabor Turner in 1998, his paternal grandparents, James Davis Madole and Ira Williamson Madole and maternal grandparents, Harrison LeGrande Tabor and Ida Dunn Tabor.

Mr. Madole graduated from Ballard Memorial High School in 1931 and was Valedictorian of his class. He graduated from Western Kentucky State College in 1935 with a Bachelor of Science in Physics and earned a Masters Degree in Physics and Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois, Champagne-Urbana in 1937.

Mr. Madole began his career as a Production Engineer with the Kentucky Lamp Company. He continued his career with the Ken-Rad Tube and Lamp Corporation, which was acquired by General Electric in 1945 until his retirement in 1980. He held various positions as Production Engineer, Quality Control Engineer, Works Engineer, Manager of Engineering Administration, Manager of Engineering, Manager of Health, Safety and Environmental Protection and was coordinator of Environmental, OSHA and Product Safety for GEs Electronic Components Business Division.

He served on several national committees including 16 years as the General Electric Tube Departments representative on the JT-5 Receiving Tube Committee-the radio tube industrys primary standardizing body and for a number of years he was an active member and past Chairman of the ASTM Electrical Test Subcommittee. Mr. Madole was a past senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. In addition, he served on the Board of Directors of the Owensboro chapter of the Red Cross and was a member of the Owensboro Daviess County Chamber of Commerce, the Elfun Society, the GE Darnek Club and the Owensboro Country club for thirty years.

Mr. Madole served as a board member of the Owensboro Board of Education from 1969 until 1977, serving as Board Chairman of the school board in 1973. He was appointed in 1976 by Kentucky Governor Louie B. Nunn to serve as a board member of The Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority. He was re-appointed to serve an additional twelve years on this committee by Kentucky Governors Wendell H. Ford, Edward T. Breathitt and Julian Carroll. He was a life-long member of the Barlow Methodist Church.

Funeral services will be 11:30 a.m. Saturday, November 1, 2003 at Glenn Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will follow in Rosehill Cemetery. His family will receive friends from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Friday, October 31, 2003 and after 10:00 a.m. Saturday.

Expressions of sympathy may take the form of donations to Western Kentucky University Physics Department, Bowling Green, KY.