Jim was the first born of three siblings to James Buford Fiveash, Sr., and Cora Ann Fiveash on March 31, 1928, in River Junction, Florida. The family then moved to Pensacola where Jim graduated from Pensacola High School in 1946. After graduation Jim joined the US Army and was stationed in the Pacific theater with an engineering group, serving most of his time in the Philippines and Japan. He was honorably discharged on August 3, 1948.
Following his service in the Army, Jim returned to the United States where he studied architecture at Georgia Tech with his Army buddy. It was during his time at Georgia Tech that he met his future wife Sara Garner. The two moved back to Pensacola and were married on August 5, 1950.
Jim worked for two years at the Naval Air Station as part of a surveyor crew before being transferred to the drafting department. Jim left NAS to work with several local Architects before opening his own residential design firm in 1963, which grew to be the largest in the area, doing work in North Florida and Southern Alabama. In 1972, Jim passed the architectural exam and was licensed to practice in the State of Florida. Ironically, his Architectural License was signed by his high school classmate, Gov. Rubin Askew. Jim also held a Florida Real Estate Broker’s License and was active in real estate development.
Jim maintained his Architectural firm through-out the seventies and most of the eighties specializing in multi-family and commercial architecture in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Tennessee. In 1974, Jim was appointed as the Florida Hotel Restaurant Commissions, Plans Review Architect for the three western counties of the panhandle, where he served for eight years. In 1989, Jim accepted a position with the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office in Tallahassee as Head of Plans Review. In 1999, Jim transferred to the Ft. Walton Beach office as Office Supervisor, where he remained until his retirement in 2004. After retirement Jim continued to be active in architecture and land development with his family.
Jim is preceded in death by his parents, his sister, Barbara Ann McIntire, his son Thomas Gary Fiveash, and grandson Jason Scott Fiveash. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Sara Garner Fiveash, Pensacola, Fl., sister, Lavern Harley, children, Penni Evans (Dennis), Delray Beach, Fl., Randy Fiveash (Cinda), Pensacola, Fl., Linda Davis (Jay), Pace, Fl., 9 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren, 2 great-great grandchildren, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
