Mr. James Keith Redding

COLUMBIA James “Jim” Keith Redding was born in Portsmouth, Ohio on January 16, 1941 to Ken and Doris Redding. He had two brothers, David and John, and two sisters, Jolinda and Jan Elise. In June of 1967, he married Janice Marie Rider of Minford, Ohio. They had two sons, Scott, who resides in San Diego, Calif., and Timothy, living in Washington, D.C., with his wife, Diala and sons, Miles and Ayman.

After a three-year stint in the U.S. Army beginning in 1959, he reentered the U.S. Army in 1967. He was deployed to the Vietnam War in January 1968, and was awarded the Silver Star, five Bronze Stars, two for valor, a Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman Badge and later, the Legion of Merit.

In August 1991, Redding retired as a lieutenant colonel (LTC) from the U.S. Army at Fort Jackson, S.C. In October 1997, LTC Redding was appointed as magistrate for NE Richland County, S.C., where he served until he retired in March 2005.

Throughout his service to the state of South Carolina, he was presented with numerous awards. Most notably, in 1985, he was awarded the Order of the Palmetto from then-Governor Richard W. Riley.

In 2005, one of his uniforms from the Vietnam War was placed on permanent display in the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. In May of 2010, he was inducted into the Ohio Military Hall of Fame for Valor in Columbus, Ohio.

Preceding him in death were his first wife, Janice Rider in April 2009; his brothers, David and John; and his parents, Ken and Doris.

In September 2011, he was blessed to marry Cindy Jackson of Columbia, who had two wonderful daughters, Lindsay Radford and Lauren Cazzupe. Jim was a member of Palmetto Church of Christ in Columbia and will be buried in Memorial Burial Park in Wheelersburg, Ohio.

He lived as he died, courageously and peacefully at the age of 80 on Sunday, April 4, 2021.

Memories may be shared at www.dunbarfunerals.com.