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JUMPERS OVER EIGHTY SOCIETY (JOES) HISTORY
(Prepared by Cheryl Whitford from information supplied by Peter Best,
Joe Richard, and Bill Wood)
The Jumpers Over Eighty Society (JOES)
was founded by Peter Best
during a POPS Meet at British Skysports
in the United Kingdom on June 30, 2001
just a few days after his 80th birthday.
Peter was born in 1920 and began parachuting at age 54. He has been very
active in POPS activities, including being on the judging panel for the
first six World POPS Meets and also at the eighth World POPS Meet.
He was the chief judge at the
Third World POPS Meet in Empuriabrava, Spain. Peter is a founding member
of the UK POPS. He also joined the national POPS in
Australia, Belgium, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and USA and also
SOS and JOS. At the end of 2004, there were three members in JOES.
Members of JOES-UK have the original JOES numbers and patches.
Peter Best passed away on May 25, 2007 after a long illness.
Jumpers Over Eighty (JOE) was founded by Joe Richard in USA in 2002.
Joe was born in 1919. The JOE-USA group members had certificates, but
no numbers were issued to the members.
Joe Richard passed away on December 12, 2004. He made his
last jump on December 5 and experienced shortness of breath after the jump.
He was taken to the local hospital and suffered a massive heart attack
while at the hospital.
At the end of 2004, there were five members in JOE-USA.
Planning for combining the JOES in UK and the JOE in USA into a single group
within the POPS organization was already taking place
when Joe Richard passed away. Fortunately, Joe Richard
had already supplied JOE membership information to the new JOES
administrator before his death.
JOES is now administered as part of the POPS organization. Cheryl Whitford
is the JOES administrator and the web master for USA POPS,
she can be contacted at uspops-web earthlink.net.
As of May 31, 2007, there are 25 members in JOES. Tom Morrison has now become TOP JOE #2.
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Peter Best, TOP JOE #1
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Tom Morrison, TOP JOE #2
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