SUFFOLK — James L. McLemore III, 64, passed away on Sept. 15, 2009. He was a Suffolk native and son of the late James L. McLemore Jr. and Jane Coulbourn McLemore. He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Mardane R. McLemore, and their three children and three grandchildren: James L. McLemore IV and his wife, Jennifer M. McLemore, and their son, Benjamin Coulbourn McLemore, of Richmond; Thomas Briggs McLemore and his wife, Andrea J. McLemore, and their two sons, Thomas Briggs McLemore Jr. and Andrew Stocker McLemore, of Alexandria; and Sarah Elizabeth McLemore, of Washington, D.C. He is also survived by his sister, Elizabeth McLemore White, of Poquoson, and his brother, John C. McLemore, of Norfolk.
Jim graduated from Suffolk High School and from Randolph Macon College where he was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma social fraternity. He received his law degree from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law of the College of William and Mary.
After serving in the United States Naval Reserve, Jim began his legal career in the City of Suffolk. He served as Deputy Clerk of the Nansemond County Circuit Court and also as Clerk of the Circuit Court of the City of Suffolk. In 1975, he opened his law office in Suffolk, where he practiced until his retirement in December 2008.
He loved his native Suffolk and the friends he developed over a lifetime. He was active in many community organizations, including the Ruritan Club, Suffolk-Nansemond Historical Society, and the Suffolk Rotary Club, where he was a past president and a Paul Harris Fellow.
A lifelong member of Main Street United Methodist Church, Jim was also a member of the James L. McLemore Bible Class and he served on the church’s administrative board. Having attained the rank of Eagle Scout, Jim actively supported Scouting and was for many years on the Troup I Committee.
Jim had an insatiable appetite for knowledge and was a passionate student of history: ancient, local and family (genealogy), and had written extensively about his family’s Scottish and early American ancestry. He was also a gifted model railroader and enjoyed making his layouts and running his trains with friends and family, particularly his grandchildren. He was instrumental in designing, and, with others, building the model train layout in the historic Seaboard Train Station.
A memorial service will be held at Main Street United Methodist Church, on Friday, Sept. 18, 2009 at 11 a.m. by the Rev. Robert J. Parks. Visitation will be at the R.W. Baker & Co. Funeral Home & Crematory, 509 W. Washington St., Suffolk on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Main Street United Methodist Church, 202 North Main St., Suffolk, VA 23434. Condolences may be registered at www.rwbakerfh.com.