James "Jimmy" Hall Boatright III

Born in Orangeburg, SC, Jimmy was raised in Washington County, GA, where he resided for 51 years and where his family traced their ancestors back to the 1700s. He grew up in Harrison and moved to Sandersville in 1957. As a youth he was active in the Boy Scouts, becoming an Eagle Scout and attending National and World Jamborees in the 1960s. A voracious reader and dedicated Georgia Bulldog fan from childhood, he instilled these passions in his children and grandchildren.

Jimmy was a graduate of Washington County High School and the University of Georgia where he majored in Agriculture and was a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity. After college, he returned to Washington County and followed his father into agricultural and hospitality businesses before moving into real estate and starting his own company.

Jimmy was involved with several civic organizations in Washington County including the Lions Club and the Washington County Historical Society. He was a decades-long member of First Baptist Church in Sandersville, where he proudly served as a deacon for many years. For six years, he proudly served in the United States National Guard.

After moving to Glynn County in 1997, Jimmy became a member of Frederica Baptist Church and joined the Marshes of Glynn chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. With SAR he celebrated his love of country and community through leadership, serving as Vice President, President, and Chairman of the Education Committee. For over two decades he worked with his fellow SAR members to develop programming for school children, joyously teaching about American history through character portrayals of well-known leaders and unsung heroes of the Revolutionary period.

As the son and nephew of World War II veterans, Jimmy realized his dream to visit the beaches of Normandy 80 years after the D-Day landings and was able to reflect on his uncle who served on one of the Navy ships. He was honored to serve as an escort for a WW II veteran on an honor flight to Washington, D.C.

Jimmy was a people person. He loved his friends and loved meeting new people. Jimmy’s heart was open to all and he made friends with joy and gratitude. He enjoyed canning fruit and baking breads, sharing jars of jam and loaves of pumpkin bread with neighbors new and old. He was a caring son, brother, nephew, and cousin and a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and father-in-law.

Jimmy’s Christian faith guided him through life. That faith shone through in his optimism, steadfastness, and kindness in his heart toward everyone he met. He taught children’s Sunday school classes, participated in mission trips, and loved writing letters of encouragement. He saw the world with wonder and delight and passed that on to others. He loved to laugh, dance, and tell stories. He is survived by his wife Julie Pound Boatright, his children Lori, Stephen and Ben, his son-in-law Randy McDowell, his daughter-in-law Rebecca Lowery, and his four grandchildren Madeleine, Elias, Emmie, and Ruby McDowell.