E S "Jim" Melvin

Jim Melvin lived a love story and passed away peacefully on August 10 at the age of 91. His loving and devoted wife of 56 years, Susan, was by his side at the time of his passing. Jim's life was defined by his faith and his love - love for his family, love for his friends, love for his church, love for the City of Greensboro, and of course, love for each of his dogs. Any visitor to the Melvins' home has seen the three granite footstones placed by Jim near the front walk for Frisky, Winnie and Tigger.

Jim came from a hard-working family with deep roots in Greensboro. His father, Joe, was the son of a grocer who had a store on Tate Street. Joe ran a two-pump Texaco gas station on Martin Luther King Boulevard (then Asheboro Street) on the city’s south side for forty years. Jim's mother, Virgil, was the daughter of a Southern railroad man. She was a homemaker and a mainstay of the Sunday school and just about any other activity at West Market Street United Methodist Church for decades. Virgil established West Market as a central part of the Melvin family, and Jim himself was perhaps the oldest active member of the church at the time of his death. A long-time Sunday school teacher for young adults, Jim remained available to teach Sunday school until he became ill. Jim's upbringing instilled in him a strong faith, tireless work ethic and his "never give up" attitude. His work ethic was further reinforced by coach Bob Jamison's discipline on the Greensboro High School (Grimsley) football field. Coach Jamison's directive was "if you work hard and do a good job then at some point it will pay off."

Speaking of sports, Jim loved winning and he always loved seeing his teams win. He was the biggest fan of Jimbo's Page Pirates high school football teams. You could always find him in the stands at UNCG Spartans basketball and Greensboro Grasshoppers games. He'd try to tell you that he didn't really care about the outcome, but then he would call his sons during every UNC basketball and football game to celebrate every big play. A lesser-known fact is that Jim loved the New York Yankees.

The significant and lasting contributions that Jim made to Greensboro and its surrounding communities during his lifetime of work with the Greensboro Jaycees, as a public servant, a banker and as head of the Joseph M. Bryan Foundation are well-chronicled. He was Greensboro's biggest fan and devoted his life to making the city a better place to live. There is no doubt that Jim changed the landscape of Greensboro for generations to come. One of the things that made him happiest was re-energizing the Greensboro Holiday Parade - and who but Jim would think to bring the Macy's holiday balloons to Greensboro’s Parade. He brought passion and discipline to all aspects of his life and he was also a coach and mentor to countless individuals. He especially loved giving opportunities and second chances, and measuring people by their character, outlook and ambition.

Beyond what he did for his city, Jim's family will remember him as a loving husband, father and grandfather. In the 1970s, he loved what he called "Super Saturdays." Those days consisted of taking his young sons to the Central YMCA in the mornings for their basketball games while he played racquetball with his friends. After morning activities, the three of them would stop at the downtown bus station barber shop for a haircut then maybe stop for lunch at the Irving Park Delicatessen (IPD). There is no doubt that Susan loved Super Saturdays, too, because it meant she got a break! Saturdays were also for washing the family cars and working in the yard. He often cut his own grass, even in his later years. It wasn't unusual to find Jim riding his John Deere well into his seventies. Nobody liked a freshly mowed and clean yard more than Jim Melvin. "Cleanliness is next to Godliness" he would often say!

There are so many family activities that were important to Jim during his full life. He loved spending time at Lake Philpott and Smith Mountain Lake. The Melvin family spent countless weekends together on the water, and Jim loved showing off his slalom skills, even donning his Dick Pope Special wooden slalom at the ripe young age of 50. Lake days eventually transitioned to time at his beloved Pawleys Island. He loved going to the beach, tinkering on his johnboat named the "F&F" for "Frick and Frack," a reference to his good friend and beach neighbor, George Coggin. Jim and Susan provided many weeks of family fun for their children and their families and friends over the years. Grandchildren Molly, Christopher, Libby, Caroline and Izzy have a lifetime of special memories with Gan and Grandad at the beach.

And then there is golf. It is hard to talk about Jim and not talk about golf. He loved playing golf with his family, and loved playing golf with his friends - friends like Mike Weaver, Luke French, Charlie "Pooch" Atkinson, Dick Lambeth, RB Arthur and Kevin Green just to name a few. Jim loved watching golf, talking about golf and taking golf trips. He and Susan took trips with friends to Scotland and Ireland on multiple occasions, and he took his sons to Scotland twice, the most recent trip when he was 80 years old! They walked every round. Jim's passion for golf bled into his passion for Bryan Park. He was so proud of Bryan Park, its people and what it offered to the city.

Jim never had a plan for retirement or quitting anything. If he could get out of bed he was working. Despite being weakened for nearly 19 months by an illness that doctors could never fully define, Jim continued to his final days to push for projects that he believed would enhance the lives of the citizens of Greensboro whom he had served for over sixty years as a Jaycee, in public office, in business, and at the Joseph M. Bryan Foundation.

Everything Jim did, he did with Susan by his side. She was the rock behind the great man, and she provided compassionate care for him during his recent health challenges. They raised a wonderful family and served as a shining example to all of loving, loyal partnership.

Jim lived a full and consequential life, including serving his country in the United States Army at Fort Jackson. He ran a full race. He never, never gave up. And he gave much more than he took. His family is proud of him and the legacy he leaves, and they will miss him terribly. There is great comfort in one of Jim's favorite mottos: EGBAR!

Jim is survived by his wife, Susan; son, Joseph Taylor III (Taylor) of Scottsdale and his children, Molly, Christopher and Elizabeth (Libby), their mother Sheila Concannon, and Taylor's longtime partner Katherine Flader; son, James Thomas (Jimbo) of Greensboro, and his wife, Laura, and their children Caroline and Isabelle (Izzy); older brother, Joseph Taylor Jr. (Joe) of Pawleys Island, South Carolina; and beloved golden retriever Dixie.

The Melvin family would like to extend special thanks to Jim’s exceptional care team: Linda Lashley, Rhonda Parker, Tyrone Allred and Diane Prince. They took care of Jim like family, and we are grateful.

A public visitation is scheduled for Monday, August 18, between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. at First National Bank Field. A memorial service will be Wednesday, August 20, at 11:00 a.m. at West Market Street United Methodist Church. A reception follows at the Bryan Enrichment Center at Bryan Park. Arrangements are through Hanes Lineberry Funeral Home.

Memorial gifts can be made to: West Market Street United Methodist Church at 302 W. Market Street, Greensboro NC 27401; UNCG Jim Melvin Athletic Scholarship Endowment - UNCG Spartan Club, PO Box 26168, Greensboro NC 27402.