Joe Ingram's Flight Capsule Personal Message reads, "DO SOMETHING EVEN IF WRONG." How appropriate for a man whose life was characterized by action. Mr. Ingram attended Oklahoma Baptist University on a basketball scholarship and graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in geology. He served in the Korean War as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force where he flew 50 combat missions. After the war, Mr. Ingram worked as a geologist in Oklahoma City with Anson Petroleum and Amarada Petroleum. He joined Monterrey House restaurants in 1960 where, upon his retirement in 1982, he served as Vice President of operations. During the 1960s, Gemini Program astronauts training at NASA's Manned Spacecraft Center (today called the Johnson Space Center) frequently ate at his Monterrey House restaurant in Houston. After retiring, Mr. Ingram served as a trustee for the United States Bankruptcy Court. Even in retirement, Mr. Ingram remained active. After surviving his first bout with cancer, Mr. Ingram ran in several marathons, including the Boston Marathon.
Mr. Ingram's wife, Jane, was also a very active person who made significant accomplishments late in life. She became an airline attendant via The National Airlines Stewardess Training Program. Jane met her husband in Houston while she was working as a dental assistant. Together they had five children: Mary Jane, Rebecca, Karen, Joe Jr., and Gary. After raising their children, Joe and Jane moved to Park City, Utah where, at age 55, Jane earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Salt Lake City's Westminster College, graduating summa cum laude. A successful writer, Jane was awarded first place in the essay division of the 1996 Bay Area Writers Conference held at the University of Houston-Clear Lake.
To know Jane was to love her. She had a radiance and intelligence that she coupled with an abundant measure of love to raise her five children to become responsible and caring adults. No job was too great to accomplish for her family, friends, and even perfect strangers in some instances. She was a compassionate giver of her love and services. Jane was an elegant lady; beautiful on the exterior, classic and strong of character who could accomplish tasks that would make most pale at the sight of them. A woman of a generous heart who tolerated life's trials and tribulations with strength and fortitude, she is sorely missed by her family and friends.
What the space program needs is more English majors.
-- Astronaut Michael Collins
