James Sullivan Agnew

James Sullivan Agnew of Durham passed away peacefully on December 12 at the age of 87 with family members by his side. “Jim” was born in Lexington, KY to James Francis and Lucille Agnew.

After spending most of his childhood in Hendersonville, NC, Jim graduated from Christ School in Arden and, many years later, was honored to serve there as a visiting lecturer. Happy to be a “Ramblin’ Wreck from Georgia Tech”, Jim was a proud alum till the very end, prominently displaying his diplomas and alumnus “swag” and rooting for the Yellowjackets on the field and court. Ever hungry for more knowledge, Jim also received his Juris Doctorate from the Woodrow Wilson College of Law.

Jim started his banking career in Atlanta, Georgia where he met his wife Judy on a blind date. In 1970, he moved with his young family to Durham where he had a five-decade career in wealth management starting with Central Carolina Bank (now Truist) and ultimately becoming a partner with Smith, Salley, and Associates where he formed enduring friendships with colleagues. He was admired for his capacity to pick high-potential “value” stocks and to predict stock market trends.

For many years Jim was an active member of Westminster Presbyterian Church where he regularly served as an usher. Jim was also an enthusiastic participant in the Durham Toastmasters Club where he served as President for many years and regaled members with humorous speeches about the misadventures of his daughters and pets.

Jim and Judy enjoyed many memorable trips – seeing bears in Alaska and the “big five” in Kenya were both bucket-list adventures. They spent the 1990s and early 2000s visiting every National Park in the US.

Down the line, Jim and Judy felt blessed to welcome three terrific grandchildren into the family. Jim was a fun and loving “Papa” who enjoyed goofing off with the grandkids and giving them enduring nicknames. Loving memories held by the grandkids include helping Papa feed the fish in the backyard koi pond, time spent at Topsail Beach, and visits to Florida.

Jim loved tennis, music, trivia, and pop culture. He was an engaged and loving father and his daughters have fond memories of many games of basement ping pong where he did not believe in letting anyone win – if you bested him, you knew it was a legitimate victory! Jim loved to “cut a rug” and his daughters are grateful that they were all able to dance with him at their weddings. They feel fortunate to have had their Dad in their lives as long as they did.

A lover of nature, Jim enjoyed deep-sea fishing trips and was an enthusiastic gardener and back-yard bird watcher. At the Forest, he was active in beautification projects and introduced fellow residents to the joys of feeding hummingbirds.

Known for his steady demeanor, kindness, integrity, and ever-present sense of humor, Jim was a true gentleman who will be missed terribly by family and friends. He was predeceased by his wife of 55 years, Judy, and is survived by his sister Virginia Trenholm, brother-in-law Marion Barnes (Kate), daughters Lynn Ross (Tyler), Laura Odowd (Larry), and Lisa Ben-Meir (Jake), grandchildren Ty Ross, Zach and Maggie Ben-Meir, niece Emily Trenholm (Les), and nephew Jeff Knight (Tonie).

The family asks that anyone wanting to honor Jim’s memory make donations to Christ School, or the Alzheimer's Association. Furthermore, Jim’s family would like to express their sincere gratitude to the staff at the Forest at Duke for the excellent care and compassion he received while a resident there.

A celebration of Jim’s life will be held at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Durham at 2:00 PM on Saturday, January 11, 2025, with a reception to follow.