James Henry Urquhart

Mr James Henry Urquhart, died October 21, 2010 at Moses H Cone Memorial Hospital after a short illness. A service of celebration will be held on Saturday at 4pm November 6th 2010 at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church Columbarium, 607 N. Greene Street, Greensboro, North Carolina 27401.

Jimmy as he was known to his family was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, the youngest son of Charles Yule Urquhart-Senior and Ada Louise Urquhart. He grew up in the close company of his two older sisters Pauline and Janice and older brother Charlie. He was educated in Christchurch at St Michael's School and Christchurch Boys High and started his working life in Christchurch at the Victoria Insurance Company. With his older brother’s encouragement, Jimmy travelled to America in 1963 to visit Charlie who had sailed from New Zealand in a trimaran and was based in San Francisco at the time. They must have had some adventures, because Jimmy never returned to New Zealand to live, but did visit New Zealand again and also traveled to Scotland to visit his sister Pauline when she was living there with her young family.

During his early years in America he worked at the Australian embassy, where he met Jennifer. They were married in 1968 and settled in Greensboro. The marriage was short-lived and with no family of his own, Jimmy developed a number of strong friendships within the Greensboro community. Jimmy was a quiet and loyal friend to those he was close to and they became like family to him with his sisters so far away in New Zealand and his brother at this time living in Canada.

His work was important to Jimmy and he was known as a highly acclaimed cabinet maker and a craftsman of many trades. He retired from Cockerham Construction Company of Greensboro.

Preceding Jimmy in death were his parents and brother Charles Yule Urquhart –Junior (Canada) and half-sister Kathleen Mary Stroud. He is survived by his two sisters Pauline Mary Dodds (Christchurch) and Janice Yule Hendon (Nelson). He is also survived by his five nephews Anthony Hendon (Picton), James Hendon and Nigel Hendon (Auckland), Andrew Dodds (New Plymouth) and Brett Urquhart (Vermont, USA) and his two nieces Louise Craythorne (Christchurch) and Heather King (Nelson) and two half-nieces Jennifer Davidson and Robyn Croxson.

In lieu of flowers donations to the Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro, 2500 Summit Ave, Greensboro, NC 27405 would be much appreciated.