James Hunter Groome

James Hunter Groome, (age 90, which was celebrated on June 4th) died on Thursday, July 10, 2014 of Alzheimer's Disease. Jim was born in Greensboro, NC on June 4, 1924. He was the son of Roy and Elizabeth Roane Groome. He grew up in Groometown (a farming community settled by his great-grandfather that is located outside Greensboro). His family later moved to Greensboro where Jim attended high school and played varsity football and was on the 1941 state championship team. Duke University awarded him a football scholarship.

With the outbreak of World War II, he had completed only one semester of college and left to attend the Merchant Marine Academy in Great Neck, NY. After graduation he served on merchant supply ships in the Atlantic, Pacific and Mediterranean. After the war in 1946, he returned to Duke and continued his education and football career. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. It was a Duke that he met his college sweetheart, Mary Ann Duncan, a native of Greenville, SC. They were married June 19th, 1948, twelve days after her graduation. Jim had one more semester to complete and graduated January 1949. After several short moves the family settled in Greensboro and Jim went to work for Gardner Board & Carton, Co., based in Dayton, Ohio. In Greensboro Jim was lay leader at Christ Methodist Church and president of Gate City Kiwanis Club. He was also a member of N.C. and Southern Conference High School Football Officials Assoc. and member of Starmount County Club. In 1960 he joined Mead Packaging, a division of the Mead Corporation, in Atlanta. He retired from Mead in 1988 as vice president and national sales manager. He decided to continue his career and became a governmental affairs consultant to several corporations on both state and national levels. This was a job he really loved; he was a "people person" and working with members of the legislature was a real pleasure for him. He was very popular with them as well as admired for his friendliness, honesty, integrity, and being a true gentleman. The legislative wives thought so much of him they honored him with a surprise luncheon upon his retirement. He was very active in the Atlanta community, participating in the Chamber of commerce, chaired the Red Carpet Tour for CEO's of companies invited to visit the state, served as division chairman for United Way, helped establish Georgia Clean and Beautiful, served on Board of Directors for Shepherd Center and co-chaired their annual golf tournament for two years. He was president of Cherokee Town and Country Club, chairman of the Phoenix Society and a member of the Peachtree Presbyterian Church. For forty years the family enjoyed their vacation home at Lake Burton, Kingwood Country Club and taking some nice trips and cruises. Golf was a lifetime sport he enjoyed with his friends. In 2004 Jim and Mary Ann moved to Lanier Village Estates, a lovely retirement community in Gainesville, Ga. There they many new friends and continued an active and happy life. In Gainesville they joined Gainesville First Methodist Church. Jim served on the board of Our Neighbor, a group that establishes homes for handicapped adults to live independently. He was also a member of Chattahoochee Country Club. Jim and Mary Ann had 66 years of devoted marriage with a wonderful family that always came first. Survivors include his wife, Mary Ann Groome; son Chip Groome and wife Cathy of Atlanta, Ga; daughters Vicki and husband John Cobb of Lynchburg, Va; Missy Milner of Athens, Ga; nine grandchildren and six great grandsons.

A memorial service will be held at the Chapel of Peachtree Presbyterian Church on Monday, July 14th at 2 p.m. following private family burial at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs.

In addition, a memorial service will be held at Lanier Village Estates in Gainesville on Tuesday, July 15 at 3 p.m.

Memorial Contributions may be made to any of the following:

The Shepherd Center 2020 Peachtree Rd. N.W. Atlanta, GA 30309

Eagle Ranch 5500 Union Church Road Flowery Branch, GA 30542

Our Neighbor P.O. Box 908483 Gainesville, GA 30501

Or any charity of your choice.

Condolences may be expressed on-line at www.dahlonegafuneralhome.com.

Arrangements by Dahlonega Funeral Home, 20 Gibson Rd., Dahlonega, GA, 30533, 706-864-DOVE