James Spencer Fulghum III, M.D.

James Spencer Fulghum III, M.D. died peacefully at home on Saturday, July 19, 2014 after a brief and devastating illness. He was a beloved husband, father, friend, physician, and freshman legislator from N.C. House District 49. He was also proud to be a chicken farmer, a veteran of Operation Desert Storm, and an 18-year U. S. Army reservist.

Jim was born on April 29, 1944, son of James Spencer Fulghum, Jr., and Margaret Ray Stanton Fulghum. He was raised in Raleigh and graduated from Needham B. Broughton High School, where he met his future wife Mary Susan Kirk Fulghum. High school sweethearts, they shared a dream of going to medical school. Jim attended North Carolina State University, where he majored in zoology and was a member of the Golden Chain, the Order of 30 and 3, Kappa Alpha fraternity, and chair of the NCSU Honor Code Board.

He and Mary Susan married in the summer of 1967. They were classmates at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and graduated in 1971. As a junior in medical school he was elected to the medical honorary society AOA. He then completed an internship and residency in neurosurgery at Duke Medical Center. While at Duke, Jim was a member of the National Guard Reserves and later the Army Reserves, where he served for 18 years, retiring with the rank of Major.

He and Mary Susan moved to Raleigh in 1977 to raise their family and begin practicing medicine. He joined Raleigh Neurosurgical Clinic and served as Chief of Surgery at Wake Medical Center in the early 1980s. He was a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the Royster Medical Society, the Raleigh Academy of Medicine, and the North Carolina Medical Society. Jim practiced neurosurgery for 35 years. After Raleigh Neurosurgical he joined Triangle Spine and Back Care Center and later Carolina Rehabilitation and Surgical Associates.

For seven months in the fall of 1990 through the spring of 1991, he served as an active duty field neurosurgeon in the U.S. Army Reserves in Saudi Arabia near the Iraqi border as part of Operation Desert Storm. This experience, along with a strong Christian upbringing, shaped Jim into a man of deep and abiding faith, and he was a loyal and active member of Edenton Street United Methodist church for nearly 40 years.

Jim’s greatest happiness in life was when he could combine his three favorite things: his family, his farm, and good food. At Deep River Farm in Chatham County, he raised chickens for many years, and hosted what became an annual gathering for family and friends, where he took great delight in serving his own hand-chopped barbeque.

A voracious reader and an avid student of politics and history, it came as no surprise when after many years of involvement in the local Republican party, Jim decided to run for the North Carolina House of Representatives, N.C. District 49. Because of his medical background and distinction as the only physician in the General Assembly, he quickly became immersed in any and all healthcare legislation. He was admired by colleagues, lobbyists, and constituents for his thoughtful, steady, and compassionate approach.

In 2006, Jim underwent a kidney transplant, receiving a donor kidney from his son-in-law Dr. Patrick McQuown Roberson. This great gift gave him eight happy and productive years, during which he welcomed his grandchildren and pursued public service. Having been asked by Senator Neal Hunt to run for his seat upon retirement, Jim was was very much looking forward to campaigning this fall for the NC Senate, in addition to serving his first term on the UNC Board of Visitors. Along with Mary Susan, Jim was also an active and ardent supporter of the arts, and in particular, served and promoted the North Carolina Symphony.

In addition to his wife of 47 years, Mary Susan, he is survived by his daughters Molly Fulghum Heintz and son-in-law Jens Holm of New York City, and Emily Fulghum Roberson and son-in-law Patrick Roberson of Raleigh; his grandchildren Margaret Josephine Roberson and Kirk Fulghum Holm; his sisters Peggy Fulghum Matthews (Sam) of Winston-Salem, Mary Anne Fulghum Clovis of Columbia, South Carolina, and Ruth Fulghum Olive (Mike) of Fuquay-Varina; and a large, loving extended family.

The family will hold a visitation on Tuesday, July 22 from 6pm-8pm at Kerr Hall at Edenton Street United Methodist Church, 228 West Edenton Street, Raleigh. The funeral service will be held on Wednesday, July 23 at 2pm at Edenton Street UMC. At all other times, the family will be at the home of Emily and Patrick Roberson at 3305 Childers St., Raleigh.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Jim Fulghum may be made to Transitions LifeCare (formerly Hospice of Wake County), 250 Hospice Circle, Raleigh, NC 27607; or the North Carolina Symphony, 3700 Glenwood Ave, #130, Raleigh, NC 27612.

Arrangements by Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, Saint Mary's St., Raleigh. Condolences may be made through brownwynne.com.