James Manning McCarthy (Jim), age 74, of Peachtree City, Ga. passed away suddenly on June 22, 2012 in Hernando Florida.
He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Mary McCarthy and brothers Joe, John, and Harry McCarthy.
Jim is survived by his wife Sandra Gifford McCarthy of Peachtree City, Ga.; daughters Manning McCarthy Lee and husband Chris Lee of Easton, MD; Lori Gifford O’Keefe and husband Jeff O’Keefe of Charlotte, N.C.; and Kim McCarthy Martin of Bon Aqua, Tenn. Grandchildren Peyton, Jack and Nicholas Lee of Easton, Md.; Keeley and Ansley O’Keefe of Charlotte, N.C.; and Franklin Martin of Kingston Springs, Tenn. He is also survived by his brother, Ben McCarthy and sisters-in-law Pat McCarthy and nephew Mickey McCarthy, of Boca Raton, Fla.; Brenda McCarthy and niece Jessica and nephew Joe, Jr. McCarthy, Austin, Texas; and Judy McCarthy, Kent Store, Va., and niece Carrie McCarthy Webster, Richmond Va.
Jim was an Eagle Scout, an avid golfer, and traveler who enjoyed taking numerous cruises to different destinations with his family. Jim led an exciting life, riding camels in Morocco, swimming with the sharks in Bora Bora, flying his Bonanza airplane and captaining his 53′ Hatterras, “The My Way.” He also loved magic and entertained his grandchildren and others with his magic tricks. Jim’s other hobbies were grilling, card games, chess and swimming.
Jim was born in Norfolk, Va. to James and Mary McCarthy. He graduated from Maury High School in Norfolk, Va. in 1955 and received a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Business Administration from the University of Virginia in 1959. While at Virginia, Jim lived on The Lawn, an honor reserved for students of academic merit, and was a member of Chi Phi fraternity and The Jefferson Society, one of the oldest continuously existing debating societies in North America.
He was a successful business owner who began his career in 1951 at the early age of 13. During the summers in college, Jim sold books, as well as recruited and managed sales people for the Southwestern Book Company. Following his college graduation, Jim moved to Springfield, Tenn. where he joined Nasco, Inc. Advancing to vice president and national sales manager, he helped build the business into the industry leader and innovator in school fundraising, manufacturing, and sporting goods sales. Over the course of his career, Jim mentored thousands of sales people in various industries. After selling his ownership in Nasco, Jim retired at 47 to enjoy time golfing, boating, traveling, and spending time with his family.
After a brief three year retirement Jim, the consummate innovator and entrepreneur, began his next business venture with his wife Sandra and started International Video Yearbooks, which grew to become International Multimedia Corporation, a franchise company. They eventually sold a portion of their business to Jostens and relocated to Peachtree City, Ga., where they became a highly successful Yearbook Team, achieving the second highest honor of Josten’s Chairman’s Club prior to retiring from that company in 2010.
Jim attended Peachtree City Methodist Church in Peachtree City, Ga. and was a former member of Bluegrass Country Club in Hendersonville, Tenn., (where he made his first hole-in-one). He served as Republican County Funding Raising Chairman for Bill Brock and Governor Lamar Alexander when he lived in Springfield, Tenn.
A celebration of Jim’s life will be held on August 4, 2012 at 3 p.m. at the Whitewater Creek Country Club in Fayetteville, Ga. Although Jim was not a member of the armed services, he greatly appreciated the sacrifices military men and women have made for our country. The family requests in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to the Wounded Warriors Foundation.
