HIGH POINT - James Luther Roach, age 79 - Beloved Father, Community Developer and Civil Rights Activist - died peacefully in his home on June 30, 2018 surrounded by families and friends. His captivating storytelling ability about his life and historical events will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
A funeral service will be held 11:00 AM Saturday July 7, 2018 in the chapel of Sechrest Funeral Service in High Point with Reverend Terry Rorie officiating. Interment will follow later during the day at 3:30 PM at Eastwood Community Cemetery in West End, NC.
Born on February 10, 1939, he was raised by his parents, the late Martin L. Roach and the late Oppie Jackson Roach Harvey in Moore County, North Carolina. He and his four siblings grew up in a loving Christian home in the Eastwood community near Pinehurst, North Carolina. He graduated from Academy Heights High School in 1957 where he played on the varsity basketball team.
Mr. Roach graduated from Barber-Scotia College with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. As student body president, Mr. Roach made history as he and other students participated in a civil rights sit-in protest to integrate lunch counter service in a Concord N.C. department store. The Concord sit-in followed the historic Greensboro sit-in at a Woolworth’s lunch counter in 1960.
Mr. Roach earned a law degree from the Howard University Law School in 1968. He spent several years of his career working to develop the business and housing infrastructure in Greensboro with the Redevelopment Commission of Greensboro and with cities throughout North Carolina in his own business, City Rehabilitation Services.
Mr. Roach pursued activist efforts to improve the community where he lived. As president of the High Point Chapter of the NAACP, Mr. Roach led efforts in 1983 to change the ward voting system in the city to gain minority representation on the city council. He created a citywide summer tutorial program for more than 60 children.
Mr. Roach met Geraldine Legette in college and they married in 1961. The couple had three children. Geraldine died in 1987 after 26 years of marriage. He remarried in 1990 to Marcelia Manley of Littleton, N.C. He and Marcelia founded Cil’s Florist, a business that they operated until her death in 2007.
In addition to his parents and wives, he was preceded in death by a brother, Carl Roach; and a sister, Katie Scott.
He leaves to cherish his memory, five children, Ronald Roach of Washington D.C. (Patience), Marjorie Rorie of High Point, N.C. (Terry), Janet Roach of Newport News, V.A. (Harold), Kevin Manley of Charlotte, N.C. (Chernetta) and Omar Lewis of Rocky Mount (Bettie); two sisters, Calatha Riggins and Quentel Porter (Eugene); nine grandchildren, Deja, Kevin, Bria, Kelsi, Gabrielle, Kameron, Trevor, Nija and Erik and a host of nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
The family will receive friends from 6:00 PM until 7:30 PM Friday, July 6, 2018 at Sechrest Funeral Service in High Point.
An additional viewing will be held from 2:30 PM until 3:30 PM Saturday, July 7, 2018 at Christ Way Deliverance Church, 7681 US Highway 15-501, West End NC, prior to the interment.
Memorials contributions may be made to: The High Point Branch NAACP, P.O. Box 62, High Point, NC 27261; The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 26 Broadway, 14th Floor
New York, NY 10004; CARE Discipleship Mission, 116 West Broad Street, High Point, NC 27260.
Condolences may be made to the family at www.sechrestfunerals.com.
Sechrest Funeral Service is honored to serve the Roach family.
