James Rendleman Obituary

Retired United States Air Force Reserve Colonel James "Jim" Duncan Rendleman, attorney, beloved husband, devoted father, and loyal friend passed peacefully on August 26, 2016, as Almighty God in His wisdom and mercy called unto Himself our brother in Christ. He had suffered from an aggressive cancer for several months.

He was born October 1, 1956 in Columbia, South Carolina, son of the late Charles Alexander Rendleman, Sr., and the late Jean Duncan Rendleman.

At age twenty, he received a Bachelor's of Science in Chemistry at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Afterwards, he obtained a Master of Business Administration, Master of Public Administration, Juris Doctorate, and Master of Laws, LLM, in Tax. With all his education, Jim was a down-to-earth, funny, and humble man, fond of telling tall tales. Jim loved North Carolina basketball and was a loyal Tarheels fan.

Jim began his Air Force career as a Rocket Propellant Chemist, and then served as Executive Officer for the Space Shuttle program; Chief, Space Policy Office for the Secretary of the Air Force; and an aerospace attorney. He most recently served as Supervising Attorney for Joint Functional Component Command for Space (JFCC SPACE).

He was a leader in space law and policy, authoring several seminal papers on the subject. He served as President of the Rocky Mountain chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, was a member of the Reserve Officers Association, the International Institute of Space Law (IISL), and involved in the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition. He was fondly referred to as the IISL's "so-called parliamentarian".

A member of both the California and the US Supreme Court Bars, Jim engaged in law practice as a partner, sole practitioner, and associate with firms in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Napa.

Jim and his wife Kay of twenty-seven years met at a Young Republican party in 1986 and married on May 20, 1989. They had called Colorado Springs home since 2002.

Always mindful of the affairs of his community, Jim ran for the California State Assembly, generating a level of engagement and a number of volunteers rarely seen on a campaign of that size. He was active in Rotary clubs in Napa and Colorado Springs, as well as Boy Scouts.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents and sister-in-law, Cindy Rendleman.

He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Kay Rendleman, of Colorado Springs, Colorado; children, Selina and Martin Rendleman; as well as his two brothers, Chuck (Cheryl) Rendleman and Bill Rendleman.

He will be dearly missed by those many people whose lives he touched.

Visitation, 1:00PM-2:00PM, Friday, September 2, 2016 at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 2226 North Corona Street, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80907.

Funeral Service, 2:00PM, Friday, September 2, 2016 at Redeemer Lutheran Church at 2226 North Corona Street Colorado Springs, Colorado 80907.

Burial will be at Westlawn Cemetery in Clemmons, North Carolina on Saturday, September 17, 2016.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Jim's memory to The Boy Scouts of America, Pikes Peak Council or Redeemer Lutheran Church.