Obituary: Capt. James Borden flew during the golden age of aviation

Capt. James W. Borden's childhood dream was to fly airplanes — one he fulfilled many times over as an adult flying for Northwest Airlines for more than three decades.

"Dad always said the best thing in the world is getting paid for what you love to do," said his daughter, Lynn Borden, of Minneapolis.

Borden, of Park Rapids, Minn., died June 30 after a brief illness. He was 88.

Born in Park Rapids, Borden grew up in Wadena and went to high school in Fergus Falls. An Eagle Scout, he entered the U.S. Navy at the age of 18 just as World War II ended. He ultimately served for four years as a machinist's mate aboard the hospital ship USS Bountiful and the tanker USS Monongahela.

Like many veterans of his generation, Borden didn't talk much about his experiences, said son Brian Borden, of Colorado Springs, Colo. Or, as his lifelong friend Noel Allard put it, "Aviation people are not real fond of talking about boats or ships."

While stationed in Okinawa, Japan, Borden got his private pilot's license, and he got additional training at the Spartan School of Aeronautics in Tulsa, Okla., after the war on the GI Bill. In 1953, he was hired on as a commercial pilot for Northwest Airlines, where he stayed until retiring 34 years later as a senior captain.

Over the course of his career he commanded almost every aircraft in Northwest's fleet, ranging from the DC-4 to the Boeing 747, enjoying the prestige of being an airline pilot during the golden age of aviation. "It was high adventure," Allard said. "It appealed to him to climb into an airplane and fly to Taipei, or some exotic destination. It is a miracle, we all know that, and Jim knew that."

"When we were young, we did try to help him tinker in the garage," said Kevin Borden, of Mount Pleasant, S.C., the family's youngest. "My twin brother and I were gophers in the shop, as in 'gofer' this screwdriver, and 'gofer' that wrench or a cold beer. I don't think we were much help."

Borden took mechanical tinkering to a high level, restoring antique airplanes, including a Waco biplane, a Piper PA-11, a 1941 Ford tractor and a Willys Jeep. "He was a real perfectionist," Brian said, but was quiet and easygoing at the same time.

Daughter Lynn said he "was the smartest person I ever knew," able to complete the New York Times crossword puzzle seemingly with ease.

He was also intensely interested in aviation history, particularly the history of Northwest Airlines. "He loved the airline and wanted to collect every bit of history he could," Allard said.

He belonged to the Civil Air Patrol, Quiet Birdmen and Marginal Aviation, the latter two groups of pilots "who hang out and tell a few stories," Allard said. He was an active volunteer and served on the board of the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame — always available to sit on a committee or attend a meeting. "He was one of those great, gregarious, charming people you could always count on," his pal of 46 years said.

In addition to his two sons and daughter, Borden is survived by two additional sons, Lee and Kelly; step children, Sandra, Cary and Tracy; sister Virginia Lee; previous wife, Jean Bungarden; 10 grandchildren and stepgrandchildren. His wife, Irene Norgren Casber, died late Monday. Services have been held.