James Latham

Burlington - James Farr Latham of 1880 Brookwood Avenue died on August 26, 2010, at his residence surrounded by family. He was born in Greenville, South Carolina, the son of the late James Roy Latham and Suzanna Farr Latham, both of pre-Revolutionary South Carolina families. He is survived by his wife, Hazel Bryan Latham; four children: James Bryan Stuart Latham, James Robert Bowen Latham, James Duncan Roy Latham and Mary Anne Elizabeth Latham; three grandchildren: Blair and Suzanna Latham and James Alexander Latham; two daughters-in-law: Lana Gaydon Latham and Maria Paz Llorente; two nieces: Cynthia Ann Clifford and Deborah Clifford Belden, her husband David and their son, Rowan. He was preceded in death by his parents, and his sister, Betty Lacy Latham Clifford. An Eagle Scout, Latham was educated in the public schools of North Carolina and at Duke University, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta. He was a Mason, a member of the V.F.W. and the Alamance Country Club. Immediately after the fall of France in 1940, he joined the United States Navy, served briefly, was discharged and later graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts. He then graduated from Duke Law School. He was admitted, by examination, to the Bars of North Carolina and South Carolina and then joined the United States Army. In 1946, after serving four years as Captain in the Artillery, Latham was appointed a prosecutor with the United States Courts in Germany, an arm of the Occupation. He became a Senior Magistrate and later a District Judge. In 1950, he returned to North Carolina as the Enforcement Director of OPS for Eastern North Carolina, leaving in 1952 to serve on the staff of Adlai Stevenson in his bid for the Presidency. He then, with Robert Long, established a general law practice in Burlington, which he maintained until his retirement in 1999. During this period he worked together with attorneys B.F. Wood., Judge Steven A. Balog and William Eagles, among others. As pro bono counsel, he successfully represented the North Carolina Courts in securing a determination that the counties were responsible for furnishing adequate facilities for the Courts, including the Graham Courthouse. Another case established the right of a spouse to secure damages for the loss of consortium. He served as president of both the Alamance and District 15 Bar Associations and by order of Governor Terry Sanford, was appointed to the North Carolina Superior Court. His ruling that the North Carolina jury statute was unconstitutional brought about a complete change for the selection of jury members in the state. He was a real estate developer, including being managing partner of Holly Hill Mall Realty, which built Holly Hill Mall. He was the founder of Burlington Bank and Trust Company, now part of SunTrust. He served on the North Carolina Ports Authority. He was featured as The Tar Heel of the Week by the Raleigh News and Observer and was appointed to the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by Governor Sanford, the state's highest civilian honor. Recently, he was noted as one of the 150 people who were deemed to have contributed the most to the community of Burlington during the past 150 years. He received the Community Service Award in 1994. In 1969, he and his wife Hazel served as co-chairmen for the annual drive for the American Cancer Society and held the first Pro-Am golf tournament in Alamance County. For a number of years, he taught classes on business law and labor relations at Elon University. By appointment of the Governor in 1969, he served on the North Carolina Study Commission on the use of illegal drugs. In the 1950's, he and his wife sponsored the immigration of five families from Austria and Germany. Lifelong passions included hunting, skiing and golfing with his wife, children and friends. In retirement, Nassau, The Bahamas, became a cherished second home. Memorials may be made to the Berea First Baptist Church of Farr's Bridge Road, Greenville, South Carolina, 29611, a church founded by his mother's great-grandfather's gift of land to the church in 1843 or to Hospice and Palliative Care of Alamance-Caswell at 914 Chapel Hill Road, Burlington, NC 27215. A graveside service will be held at Magnolia Cemetery in Elon, North Carolina at 11:00, Saturday, August 28, with Rev. Bill Vickrey officiating. Lowe Funeral Home and Crematory in Burlington is in charge of the arrangements. Family visitation will take place immediately following the service at the home of Bowen and Lana Latham, 2049 Edgewood Avenue, Burlington.