By Kenneth Stewart

NPS alumnus, former Director of Programs, and government travel specialist retired Navy Capt. James "Jim" Egerton, center, is pictured last year with some of his fellow travel office team members during an office gathering. Jim passed away suddenly, Aug. 4, at the age of 82. Per his wishes, Egerton's ashes will be scattered at sea by his wife Helen and close family.

Retired Vice. Adm. Michael Vitale knew Egerton well, and spoke at length about him and the lasting impression Egerton made upon him during a recent Secretary of the Navy Guest Lecture.

"Jim was my second CO [commanding officer] in the Navy aboard the USS Reeves," said Vitale. "He taught me how to drive ships, he taught me how to be a great officer, and he taught me how to take care of people. Most importantly, Jim left me with a legacy of leadership because he taught me to always do your best, to do it with class and style, and to always do what's right no matter how hard it is, how long it takes, or how much it costs.

"I mention him today to honor what he did for me and the success that I have achieved because of him. I hope that all of you have such a man in your life and you can look back one day and thank him," continued Vitale.

Members of Egerton's travel office team have equally fond memories of him.

"Jim was the one who first trained me in DTS [Defense Travel System] matters about four years ago," said Travel Assistant Jon Lim. "Since then, I've had the good fortune of working alongside him on a daily basis. He has been, and always will be, a significant part of the travel office family. Whenever anyone needed help on a complicated travel matter, he was the man to consult. I will remember his dry sense of humor and work ethic."

"Our office meetings will never be the same without Jim. Whether he intended to or not, he always gave us a good laugh," added Passport Agent Monique Resquir.

Deputy Comptroller Jack Shishido worked with Egerton for 11 years.

"The first person to introduce me to NPS was Jim. He's how I got here," said Shishido.

Over the years Shishido and many others have relied upon Egerton's in-depth knowledge of defense travel regulations, which he often quoted on demand while answering difficult questions or training members of the travel office.

"Jim was our go-to-guy. He was the travel subject matter expert, no bones about it," said Shishido. "He not only taught us the rules, he wrote many of them."

Jim's connection to NPS spanned nearly half a century. He first came to NPS as a student and lived in one of the cottages next to Herrmann Hall. He was the Dean of Programs [now Dean of Students] from 1985 to 1987, and returned to Monterey after retiring from the Navy to work in the travel office.