James Hicks

James Edwin Hicks, 80, of Hickory passed away Saturday, September 28, 2024. Born May 21st, 1944 he was the son of Raymond Love Hicks and Ruby Aletha Hicks.

Beloved brother, husband, father, uncle, and grandfather, Jim led a long and rich life and will be greatly missed.

He grew up in Miami, one of 6 children, back when it was a much smaller place. After high school, he joined the Air Force and was the only one of his class of electronics specialist cadets who was not immediately sent to a post in the US; in fact, he had to wait all by himself in the barracks for a week before learning he was being sent to England. There he repaired avionics systems for the F4 Falcon jet and met his wife of 58 years, Jennifer. After his service, they moved back to Miami where he began work at Eastern Airlines repairing and maintaining the electronics for passenger jets, and started a family with two sons Michael and Stephen. In 1976 his adventures continued as he and Jennifer moved their young family away from the city to a very small town in rural Missouri to become a farmer (having no experience whatsoever but having read up on the subject). He was always brave and steadfast this way, willing to try new things and work very hard to make those things happen. He built the family home from scratch, almost single-handedly (again, he had a book on it). He learned to raise pigs and chickens and cultivate the 40-acre cropland, until the tractor needed an overhaul so then, with the help of an excellent factory manual and a somewhat reluctant teenage son, he entirely rebuilt the engine. Ultimately, however, the small farm proved insufficient to support his family so he added work as a TV repairman. That later developed into his own TV repair business, then sales and repair, and then he became the owner of the main hardware store in town. During those years he was known throughout the town as an ethical and generous business owner and a good employer.

After many years in cold Missouri, he felt the pull of Florida once more and they moved to the Treasure Coast where he worked an additional 20 years as a supervisor for Palm Beach County, specializing in planning and implementing courtroom reporting systems and general communications. During this time he also took up woodworking and crafted most of the furniture in the house. The backyard garden was also a very productive hobby as well as brewing beer, making excellent wine from the backyard mango tree, canning jellies, baking bread, and taking the boat out into the intercoastal and Atlantic for some good fishing. After retiring about 18 years ago, he and Jennifer also took many well-planned trips to Europe and the Mediterranean, as well as having adventures in almost every state in the US.

Ultimately, they decided to move to North Carolina where the hurricanes were fewer and the hiking was better, in his final year there he set about improving their new home, walking, gardening, and enjoying the birds at the feeder.

He set a good example of how to be for his two sons, was dedicated and loving to his wife, and always had a gentle and fun manner with his grandchildren.

Jim was preceded in death by his brothers John and Bob, and his sisters Margaret and Betty; he is survived by his sister Mary, wife Jennifer, sons Michael and Stephen, and grandchildren, Samantha, Evan, Jordan, and Maggie.

Please sign the online guestbook at www.caringcremations.net. The Hicks family has entrusted arrangements to Caring Cremations Life Celebrations and Funerals at 828-855-3350.