(WFRV) – Jim Lovell, the famed Apollo astronaut whose leadership helped saved the Apollo 13 crew, died August 7, 2025, in Lake Forest, Illinois. He was 97-year-old.
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According to a press release from NASA, Lovell flew two Gemini missions and two Apollo missions, including Apollo 8, the first crewed spacecraft to orbit the Moon, and Apollo 13, where his calm decision-making under pressure turned a life-threatening crisis into a safe return to Earth.
Known as “Smilin’ Jim” for his quick wit, Lovell also served in the U.S. Navy as a test pilot and Naval Academy graduate. Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy praised Lovell as a “bold and optimistic leader” and helped pave the way for future missions, including Artemis.
Lovell’s career is features in NASA’s official biography at nasa.gov.
The EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh released a statement,
We at EAA had a close connection to him for decades, as he first met EAA founder Paul Poberezny in their mutual hometown of Milwaukee. Jim was a regular visitor to Oshkosh for the EAA fly-in convention for many years and graciously retold his experiences as a Naval Aviator and an astronaut to our audiences on numerous occasions. We express our condolences to Jim’s family and many friends, and say, Godspeed and thank you.
Jack J. Pelton, CEO and Chairman of the Board of the Experimental Aircraft Association
