James E. "Jim" Piper, 74, of 618 E. Walnut St., Titusville died at 2:25 a.m. Friday at the Titusville Area Hospital, where he was admitted Nov. 22.

Born Aug. 7, 1931, in Butler, he was the son of Hiram S. and Mabel Brown Piper.

He graduated from Butler High School in 1949 and from Grove City College in 1960 with a Bachelors Degree in Metallurgical Engineering.

Mr. Piper was inducted into the U.S. Navy on May 22, 1951. He served on the USS Ajax during the Korean War. He was awarded the National Defense Ribbon, Korean Service Ribbon and United Nations Ribbon. He was discharged May 13, 1955, in San Francisco with the rank of machinery repairman second class.

He married Doris Oesterling Piper July 23, 1955, at St. Paul Roman Catholic Church in Butler. They celebrated their 50th anniversary on July 23.

Mr. Piper was employed by Universal Cyclops Specialty Steel Division for 32 years as a metallurgical engineer and director of quality, retiring in January 1992. He was in partnership with Detex Metallurgical Consulting Co. from 1992 to 1997. He did independent consulting until 2001, when he retired.

He was a member of the St. Titus Church, Cytemp Quarter Century Club, BPOE Lodge 264, American Society of Metals, National Federation of Lure Collectors, Old Reel Collectors Association, Over the Hill Gang for Oil Creek State Park Hiking Trail and Thompson's Drug Store coffee group.

Mr. Piper was an avid outdoorsman and collector of antique fishing equipment.

He is survived by his wife; two sons, Douglas E. Piper and his wife, Betty, of State College and Gregory E. Piper of Pleasant Gap; two daughters, Loretta E. and her husband, Kenneth, Geiser of Philadelphia and Patricia E. and her husband, John, Lombardi of Adamstown, Md.; 10 grandchildren, Luke, Quinton and Ethan Piper of Pleasant Gap, Amanda, Zachary and Kenneth Geiser III of Philadelphia, Johnny, Maximo, Vincent and Antonio Lombardi of Adamstown, Md.; a sister, Frances and her husband, Greydon, Kay of Evans City; a sister-in-law, Margaret Oesterling of Butler; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by a sister, Pearl Seitz.

PIPER — Friends of James E. "Jim" Piper, who died Friday, Nov. 25, 2005, will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday atLEO N. HENNES FUNERAL HOME, INC. 203 Main St., Titusville. A Christian wake service will be at 8:45 p.m. A transfer service will be conducted at 9:30 a.m. Monday at the funeral home, followed by a Mass of Christian burial at 10 a.m. at Titus Church celebrated by the Rev. D.G. Davis III. Burial will be in St Catharine Cemetery.Memorial contributions may be made to St. Titus Church Endowment Fund, American Heart Association, 823 Filmore Ave. Erie, PA 16505 or to the charity of one's choice.