John Crockett Higginbotham III

John was born December 1, 1922 in Portsmouth, Ohio to John C. Higginbotham II and Chloe Addair Higginbotham but spent much of his childhood and early years near Iaeger, West Virginia. During WWII, he served with the 14th Field Artillery Battalion, seeing action throughout Northern France, the Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace and Central Europe. After the war, he graduated from VPI (Virginia Tech) with a degree in architectural engineering.

Upon graduation, John moved to Greensboro where he worked as an engineer with English Construction, Cone Mills and finally the City of Greensboro as a civil engineer. He remained in Greensboro until July when his declining health prompted a move to be near family.

His passions were science/technology, sailing and sports cars, therefore he spent many hours reading, spending time on the local lakes, and traveling on his favorite winding roads. John also possessed an innate ability to construct or repair almost anything and enjoyed the time spent in his workshop.

In the early 50’s, John designed the original logo for the Sports Car Club of NC, which would later become part of the SCCA. He was also a founding stakeholder of VIR (Virginia International Raceway) near Milton, NC.

John is survived by his wife of 58 years, Marie Edmondson Higginbotham, brother Allen Bane Higginbotham (Linda) of Sarasota, Florida, son John C Higginbotham IV (Marie) of Centreville, MD, son Larry Michael Thompson (Coralee) of Lilburn, GA, son Billy Wayne Thompson (Jan) of Fort Worth, TX, daughter Nancy Higginbotham Swann (David) of Raleigh, NC and many adoring grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his sister, Adair Higginbotham Bauer and son John Edward Thompson.

John requested to have no formal service, but desired the family to hold an informal gathering which will be held in the fall.

Memorials can be made to his favorite non-profits:

Greensboro Urban Ministry: 3015 W. Gate City Blvd, Greensboro, NC 27406

The Sierra Club: www.sierraclub/ways-to-give.com

The Audubon Society: https://action.audubon.org/donate/now