James Heathman

On Saturday, April 2, 2011, a group gathered at the crash site. In attendance were Heathman's son and Rockne's grandson.

J.E. Heathman died of pneumonia in a hospital in Emporia, Kansas, on January 29, 2008, at the age of 90. Heathman had previously said in an interview that his one regret was that he had not met Knute Rockne in person.

Despite his fame among those dedicated to Notre Dame, Heathman remained modest. In his last interview, which he gave to the Chicago Tribune in December 2007, he stated, "I'm not a celebrity. I'm just an older farmer."

Heathman was honored by the University of Notre Dame for his dedication to the school and the memory of Rockne. He received an honorary monogram from Notre Dame in 2006 at a pep rally held at Notre Dame Stadium attended by students and fans. The event honoring Heathman coincided with the 75th anniversary of Rockne's death. He often showed off autographed Notre Dame footballs which were given to him by coaches Lou Holtz and Charlie Weis.

James Easter Heathman (April 7, 1917 – January 29, 2008) was an American former farmer and U.S. Army veteran, who, as a teenager in 1931, witnessed and discovered the crash of a Transcontinental & Western Air airliner, which killed eight people, most notably University of Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne. Heathman, who was 13 years old at the time he discovered the plane crash with his father on March 31, 1931, was the last living witness to the plane crash. Heathman later became a Knute Rockne historian and often led free tours of Notre Dame fans to the site of the crash, especially during the last 20 years of his life.