James Harris Hargis

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Jim was the youngest son of the late William Jennings Hargis, Sr., and Addie Corbett Hargis. He was also preceded in death by his brothers William J. Hargis, Jr., and Richard C. Hargis; and by his sister, Jane Hargis McAvoy, and her husband Neal.

Jim grew up mainly in Richmond, Virginia, where he early showed a talent in art and the ability to ride long distances on his bicycle. He was too young to serve in WWII as his older brothers did, but he served in the U.S. Navy 1948-1952 as a radioman making amphibious landings on the Atlantic side. During the Korean conflict and the Cold War, he was part of Operation Blue Jay transporting civilians to Thule, Greenland, where they constructed an all-weather runway from which any target in the USSR could have been reached. He illustrated the Operation Blue Jay logbook, using the captain’s light table most nights.

In 1951 Jim married Peggy Anne Price, and they were wise and loving parents of their four daughters, Elaine Hargis Nuerenberg, Robin Hargis Gardner, Peggy E. Hargis, and Melanie Hargis Qualman. Although Jim often worked long hours as a commercial artist, his daughters still talk about the fun they had playing various games with their father. Leading up to January 1980, Jim was recruited by Bob Jones University Press to become a textbook illustrator, a position he enjoyed filling until his retirement in 2005. Many of his illustrations are still used in later editions. A year after the death of his wife Peggy in 1994, Jim married Grace Calvert Collins (named for her grandmother Grace Calvert Barbe). Jim and Grace were in their 30th year of marriage when he passed on to Glory.

Jim is also survived by grandchildren Lisa Munden, Sharon Takvam, Marie Whittington, and David Gardner; great-grandchildren Christina LaLande, Cloie See, Kerryn Bennett, Dean Takvam, Cole Whittington, Blake Whittington, Milena Gardner, Kai Gardner, and Emil Gardner; great-great-grandchildren Zelda Hembree and Faewyn LaLande; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Services will be held on Saturday, March 22, at Faith Baptist Church, 500 W Lee Rd, Taylors, SC 29687. Visitation begins at 1:00, the funeral is at 2:00, and at 3:00 is a brief committal service with military honors at Woodlawn Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Hidden Treasure Christian School or Bob Jones University.