Charles J. Spivey

On July 7, 2020, Jim Spivey passed away peacefully at home at the age of 92, ushered into his Lord and Savior's presence to join his beloved wife, Butch. Jim, as he was known, was born on September 10, 1927 in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, the first child of Margaret Jane Stowe Spivey and Weaver Jerome Spivey.

After a childhood in Kings Mountain and in Charlotte, Jim returned to Kings Mountain and graduated from Kings Mountain High School in 1945. Jim proudly entered the U.S. Merchant Marine service at Pass Christian, Mississippi in 1945, and later attended the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York as an Engine Cadet and Cadet Midshipman. He sailed on the Exiria to the Mediterranean in 1946, highlights of which included seeing the ruins of Carthage from the sea and the volcano at Stromboli erupting at night. He sailed on a goodwill tour to the Caribbean and South America on the Kings Pointer in 1946, during which Jim was duly initiated into the Solemn Mysteries of the Deep as a Trusty Shellback on Christmas Day, 1946 at Latitude 00000 & Longitude 46 degrees & 52 minutes bound for Rio de Janeiro from Trinidad. He later sailed on the Villanova Victory to the Netherlands in 1947. In 1988 the Merchant Marines received veteran’s status, and he received an honorable discharge from the U.S. Coast Guard.

After the Merchant Marine service, Jim attended Gardner-Webb College in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, where he received an Associates degree in 1949. Upon graduation, Jim went to work in Kings Mountain in the parts department of the Ford dealership & driving a truck for Bob's Cola.

Jim developed an interest in dramatics while in college, acting in many plays at Gardner-Webb and with the Kings Mountain Little Theater. He directed the outdoor drama, Sword of Gideon, in 1950 and the outdoor drama, Then Conquer We Must, in 1951, both about the 1780 Battle of Kings Mountain and both performed at the Kings Mountain National Memorial Park . He and Butch have sponsored an endowment at Gardner-Webb University for a scholarship in their Dramatics Department. He was honored by Gardner-Webb University as their Junior College Alumnus of the year 2002-2003.

Jim met Beulah Elizabeth Rhea when he was 15 and she was 12 in Kings Mountain. They dated through school, Jim's Merchant Marine service, and during his time at college. They married at Kings Mountain First Baptist Church on August 27, 1949. They were married 70 years.

Jim lived and worked in Kings Mountain, N.C., Greenwood, S.C., Greensboro, N.C., Lenoir, N.C., and back to Greensboro, N.C. as an insurance adjuster with the General Adjustment Bureau. In 1968, he took the position of Executive Director of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Insurance Advisory Committee providing risk management expertise to the city of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County until he retired after 20 years in 1988. He then provided risk management expertise for other municipal and commercial entities through his company, C. J. Spivey Associates, Inc., and he was Executive Director and Principal Administrator of two insurance pools for the North Carolina Housing Authorities. He was the Recipient of the RIMS Goodell Award, 1988, the most prestigious and highest award presented to the outstanding risk manager in the nation by the National Insurance and Risk Management Society (RIMS) for lifelong contributions to the profession. Jim earned a reputation as a well-respected, open and honest businessman, who expected the best. He was known to speak his mind and stand up for what he believed in.

Jim served on the Executive Council of the Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) from 1975 - 1986 and in many other professional and civic organizations, including the Gideons International. He and Butch were active members of Carmel Baptist Church in Charlotte since moving there in 1968.

He and Butch enjoyed many travels in North America, Europe, the South Pacific, Australia, and the Caribbean. Jim sponsored and participated in numerous sailing trips from 1997 through 2016 to the British Virgin Islands and Belize for family and friends. He and Butch arranged for yearly trips to the beaches for his ever-growing family starting in the 1960's as camping trips around Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and for the last 30 years renting houses in Ocean Isle, North Carolina to accommodate everyone.

Many words have been used to describe Jim, the first being ever-generous. He was loyal, disciplined, kind, stubborn, organized, honest, persistent, dedicated, passionate, and faithful. He was described by a friend as an exemplary Southern gentleman. He was a patriot, proud of his country, and grateful to God for the long life he lived, and hopeful that what he did with the time he was given on earth was done for good.

Jim is preceded in death by his wife, Beulah Elizabeth Rhea "Butch" Spivey (1930-2019). He is survived by his six children, Jerry Spivey and wife, Jane, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Karen Spivey Dallas and husband, Walt, of Cary, North Carolina, Greg Spivey and wife, Helen, of Nichols Hills, Oklahoma, Jeff Spivey and wife, Jeanie, of Kings Mountain, North Carolina, Dana Spivey Mims of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Stowe Spivey and wife, Pam, of North Carolina, 11 grandchildren, and 16 great grandchildren. Jim and Butch were always very proud of their family.

Butch's ashes will be placed in Jim's casket and a graveside internment will be held for Jim and Butch at the Mountain Rest Cemetery in Kings Mountain at 10 AM on July 18, 2020. Family will receive friends at 1 PM at McEwen Funeral Home - Pineville Chapel, 10500 Park Rd., Charlotte, NC 28210 on Saturday, July 18, 2020, and a Memorial Service will be held there beginning at 2 PM.

VIRTUAL SERVICE - The Memorial service will also be available as a VIRTUAL service linked at the Facebook link on the McEwen website to be viewable LIVE or as a recording at https://www.facebook.com/McEwen-Funeral-Service-Pineville-Chapel-108159195920658/ Scroll down on the right side to reach this service 5-10 minutes before 2PM Saturday to view. It will NOT be there any earlier. You do NOT need to log in or create a Facebook account to view this service LIVE or as a recoding.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Carmel Baptist Church Missions, Gardner-Webb University, Jim and Butch Spivey Dramatic Scholarship at Gardner-Webb University, or to Gideon's International.

On-line condolences may be shared at www.mcewenpinevillechapel.com.