JB McCollough - Obituary

“Aviation wasn’t just his career—it was his lifelong passion, and he truly believed it was in his blood.” JB McCollough, 95, of Edgewater, Maryland, passed away peacefully on July 14, 2026, with his beloved wife, Carrol, and his daughter, Loretta, by his side. JB was born on September 25, 1930, in Webb City, Oklahoma, to Dorothy Lue Trogdon and Bill Bryan McCollough. He graduated from Capitol Hill High School in Oklahoma City in 1948 before enlisting in the United States Marine Corps. He was stationed at the U.S. Naval Supply Depot in Clearfield, Utah, and in 1951 was deployed to Korea, where he served one year of combat duty with Headquarters and Service Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Division. Following his military service, JB attended Central State College in Edmond, Oklahoma, before transferring to the University of Oklahoma, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1956. JB devoted his professional life to aviation, a passion that began at the age of seven when his mother gave him a model airplane kit. That simple gift sparked a lifelong love of airplanes and flight. He often said that aviation was “in his blood.” While stationed in Utah, he became part owner of a World War II Stearman aircraft and spent every opportunity he could in the air. After graduating from the University of Oklahoma, JB joined Cessna Aircraft in Wichita, Kansas, where he worked for six years as an aeronautical engineer and flight test pilot. During his career with Cessna, he flight tested and certified the Cessna 210, the Cessna 185, and several seaplane models, including the 172, 175, and 185. He later joined the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Academy in Oklahoma City as an instructor in Flight Test Training. In 1967, he transferred to Washington, D.C., where he served as an instructor in the FAA Office of Training before becoming Manager of the Flight Safety Research Branch within the Systems Research and Development Service. In 1979, he transferred to the FAA Technical Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he continued in that leadership role. He returned to Washington, D.C., in 1988 as the FAA representative to the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Research and Supporting Services (OFCM). JB retired from the FAA in 1989 after a distinguished career dedicated to improving aviation safety. Retirement allowed him to enjoy many of the activities he loved most, including motorcycling, sailing, and boating on the Chesapeake Bay. He also rekindled his longtime passion for photography, becoming especially fond of capturing the beauty of waterfalls. JB was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Dr. Bill (“Billy”) McCollough; his son, Val McCollough; and his first wife, Renee. JB and Val shared a love of whitewater kayaking and together earned a Presidential Sports Award in 1973. He is survived by his devoted wife of 46 years, Carrol; his daughters, Lori (Alan) Peters of Sandy, Utah; Loretta McCollough of Castle Rock, Colorado; and Angela (Keith) Richards of Layton, Utah; his stepchildren, Jeanne (Paul) Bellis of Stevensville, Maryland, and David Sears of Sanger, Texas; nine grandchildren; and nineteen great-grandchildren. JB was a proud member of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) in Crystal Falls, Michigan. He was deeply proud of his service as a United States Marine and remained devoted throughout his life to God, his country, and the aviation profession that defined so much of his life’s work. His family will remember him as a man of enduring curiosity. Whether in the cockpit of an airplane, on the water, behind a camera, or surrounded by those he loved, JB lived a life marked by continuous learning and adventure. A memorial service celebrating JB’s life will be held at a later date.