Horace M. "Jim" Kimel, Jr.

Horace M. “Jim” Kimel, Jr. passed away on December 20, 2023. Before his death, he dictated the following obituary with characteristic humility: Jim Kimel was born in Winston-Salem, NC on September 24, 1948. He is predeceased by his mother Ruth Ashburn Kimel and his father Horace M. Kimel, Sr. He is survived by his wife of 50 years Catherine Wilson Kimel, his son Benjamin Andrew Kimel, his daughter Catherine Wright Kimel Brown, and his adorable grandsons Arthur Horace Brown and Guilford Francis Brown. He is also survived by his sisters Marta Smith and Pamela Thompson, and by his brother Samuel Kimel.

We add: Jim Kimel was a pillar of North Carolina’s legal and political community. He served as the Guilford County District Attorney from 1987 to 2001, and as the President of the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys from 1992 to 1993. He became a member of the private criminal defense bar when he retired as district attorney in 2001. The Guilford County Democratic Party appointed Jim to the Guilford County Board of Elections in 2016. He became the chair in 2017, and continued to serve in that position until the summer of 2023. The Guilford County Democratic Party named Jim and Cathy Kimel Democrats of the Year in 2022.

Jim was also an active member of First Friends Meeting in Greensboro, NC. At various times during his long membership there Jim was Clerk of Meeting, Clerk of Personnel, and a beloved bringer of the children’s message, among other roles.

But most essentially, Jim was a warm and loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend. We carry with us a profusion of memories of his peacefulness, competitiveness, reliability, love of words, fun, and passionate support for the Carolina Tar Heels.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on January 16, 2024 at First Friends Meeting, 2100 W. Friendly Ave., Greensboro, NC 27403. The family will receive friends in the meeting fellowship hall before the service, beginning at 12:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to First Friends Meeting. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared by visiting www.haneslineberryfhnorthelm.com Hanes Lineberry North Elm Chapel in Greensboro is assisting the Kimel Family.