James L. "Jim" Fothergill

1935 - 2022

James L. "Jim" Fothergill, 86, passed away peacefully April 5, 2022, at the Ponce Therapy Care Center in St. Augustine, surrounded by his family. A gathering for family and friends to celebrate Jim's life will be 1-4 p.m. Saturday, July 16, at DeBary Country Club, 300 Plantation Club Drive. Dress casually and colorfully to honor Jim's love for art!
Jim was born Dec. 4, 1935, in Boston, to Dr. LeRoy Dryden Fothergill Sr. and Marguerite Nevins Fothergill.
He grew up on a small farm in Mount Pleasant, Maryland, alongside his older brother, LeRoy D. "Skip" Fothergill Jr., and his younger brother, Robert Nevins "Bob" Fothergill.
As a young adult, Jim served in the U.S. Air Force. Once stationed in Florida, he never left the Sunshine State, making Miami home for much of his life.
He met his wife, Barbara, in Miami Beach, and they married in 1960.
Not long after, he began his career with Florida Power & Light, beginning as a meter reader and working his way into systems analysis. He retired in 1994 as the architect of the newly created electronic-payment system after 34 years with the company.
In 1995, Jim and Barbara moved to DeLand, where they spent more than 25 years cultivating friendships, hosting many gatherings for family and friends at their home in Westminster Wood, and sharing their time and talents with others. They also enjoyed supporting the arts community in DeLand, and they traveled extensively during their retirement, with France and Italy among their favorite destinations.
Jim was a true "renaissance man," whose interests and talents were many and varied. A Floridian most of his life, Jim loved the water and spent many fun years boating, fishing and scuba diving in Miami and in the Florida Keys.
Jim was a talented musician, who played violin with the Maitland Symphony Orchestra and later formed Simply Strings, a quartet that performed locally, most often at DeBary Country Club.
He was an artist who filled his home with his paintings, and he enjoyed many art classes at The Art Room in Windermere with his daughter Laura.
Jim enjoyed athletics all his life, playing lacrosse as a youth, running many 10K races and even some marathons as an adult, and playing tennis with friends in his retirement.
He was also a woodworker and an avid gardener. He delighted in growing roses and picking vegetables with his grandchildren, who loved spending time in Grandpa's garden.
Above all, Jim was a good man, a kind man, and a man marked by integrity, and he loved his family dearly.
Jim is survived by his wife of 62 years, Barbara Fothergill; his three daughters, Melinda Provenza (Joe) of St. Augustine, Laura Morgan (Scott) of Eustis, and Jill Portales (Aldo) of Palm Beach Gardens; his 10 grandchildren, Emily, Katie, Jimmy (Annie) and Joseph Provenza; Catherine, Rebecca and Matthew Morgan; and Nicholas, Alex and Andrew Portales; one great-grandson; his brother, Bob Fothergill of Colonial Heights, Virginia; his sister-in-law, Maria Fothergill of Aberdeen, Maryland; and many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jim's name to Save the Music Foundation at www.savethemusic.org. Condolences may be sent to the Fothergill family at P.O. Box 3009, DeLand, FL 32721, or online at melpro@bellsouth.net. Craig Funeral Home in St. Augustine is in charge.