Biography: John Pemberton, “Pem”, McRae of Little Rock, died Friday, October 30, 2009. He was born in Little Rock where he graduated from Little Rock High School in 1931 and Little Rock Junior College. After his schooling he served in the Air National Guard from 1931 to 1935. In 1937 he married Jane Paxton Armour, who died in 2001. Pem worked for John Deere Tractor Company before working for Beem Radio Company. Beem sent him to New Orleans and Grand Isle, Louisiana, to install airplane radios for the civil Air Patrol. He remembers seeing the CAP planes flying over the Gulf of Mexico looking for German submarines that were sinking American ships carrying raw rubber and crude oil from South America to support the war effort. He went to New York in 1943 to train for American Airlines. Not liking life in the North and missing his wife and baby daughter, he returned to Arkansas. However, World War II took him back North to work for Raytheon Corporation. This time, his wife and daughters joined him in Arlington and South Sunbury, Massachusetts. Upon returning to Little Rock after the war, he set up McRadio Sales and service, first in the old Arcade Building downtown and later moving to Little Rock airport doing aircraft radio sales and service. In 1948 he became communications chief and pilot for the Arkansas Game and Commission. He remained there until 1960. In 1951 he moved his family to, The Cottonwoods, the Pemberton family plantation home in Scott, Arkansas. For five years he continued his job at the Game and Fish Commission while farming the plantation where he had spent many happy days as a young boy. In 1987 he and his wife were named Pulaski County Farm Family of the Year, and he retired from farming that same year. Pem loved flying and owned several planes throughout the years. He got his first pilot’s license in 1945 and flew his last plane until he was in his 80s. From a young age, he was a master with electronics and loved ham radio. He got his first ham radio license in 1934 and continued to operate a ham radio until his death. His call sign, W5EKD, is known by many on the amateur radio bands. W5EKD is now a silent key. Pem was a charter member of the Wing Shot Duck Club, Fraternal Association for Radio Modelers, American Radio Relay League, the Experimental Aircraft Association, Vintage Aircraft Association, and the Clan MacRae Society of North America. He is predeceased by his parents, Dr. Washington M. and Ruth Pemberton McRae, his wife Jane Armour McRae, a son John Pemberton McRae, sister, Marilyn McRae Houston, and is survived by 2 daughters; Anne McRae Crosby of Little Rock, Jane Armour Thompson and her husband John of North Little Rock, 4 grandchildren; David Arthur Collins, Jr. and wife Cindy of Maumelle, John Christopher Collins and wife Keli of Little Rock, Caroline Jackson Morgan and husband David of Conway, and Laura Jackson Whitley and husband Blake of Hot Springs, great-grandchildren; Samantha Grace Collins, of Little Rock, Jessica Armour Morgan of Conway, John David Morgan of Conway, Ellen Sinclair Whitley of Hot Springs and Paige Anne Whitley of Hot Springs. There will be a visitation Monday from 5p.m. to 7p.m. at Ruebel Funeral Home, followed by a memorial service Tuesday at 1 p.m. at All Souls Church in Scott, Arkansas, officiated by Gerry Claybrook. In Lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Plantation Settlement Organization, Scott Connection, P.O. Box 214, Scott,Arkansas 72142. Online guestbook: www.ruebelfuneralhome.com.