James Drewry Wilkins III

1946 - 2021

James Drewry Wilkins III
October 11, 1946 - March 15, 2021
Charlotte, North Carolina - James Drewry Wilkins, III, 74, died peacefully on Monday, March 15, 2021, at Sharon Towers. He was born in Greensboro, NC on October 11, 1946, to James Drewry Wilkins, Jr. and Louise McCulloch Wilkins. Jim was an Eagle Scout and graduated from Grimsley High School in 1965. He then earned a BA in Economics from Wake Forest University where he was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity and went on to earn an MBA at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1971.
Jim married his junior high school sweetheart, Sara "Sally" Andrews, in 1969. After graduate school, Jim and Sally moved to northern New Jersey where Jim began an 18-year career in retailing in New York City. They returned to North Carolina in 1989 where Jim began a 19-year career with the Cato Corporation in Charlotte.
Jim will be greatly missed by family and friends who consistently characterize him as a nice, thoughtful man, willing to speak to anyone. He is survived by his wife, Sara "Sally" Andrews Wilkins; his two sons, Eric James Wilkins (Annie Bowles) of Charlotte and their four children Ellie, Crandall, Holland, and Charlie; and Brian Charles Wilkins (Lindsay) of Arlington, VA and their two children, Hudson and Caden. Jim is also survived by his sisters, Martha Wilkins Crawley (Tom) of Martinsville, VA, and Elizabeth Wilkins Cheek (Forrest) of Fern Park, FL; by brother-in-law Charles Thomas Andrews (Paula) of Fairport, NY and by numerous nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents Jim was predeceased by his sister, Nancy Wilkins Arrington of Raleigh.
Jim enjoyed his membership and friends made on the golf course at Myers Park Country Club. He loved the challenge of golf and the camaraderie on the course. Jim considered a hole in one on #7 at Myers Park as his crowning achievement.
His greatest joy, however, came from being a grandfather. He loved seeing his grandchildren play sports. Cherishing the many weekends attending their athletic events, he was a fixture of county parks and local church gyms. He also spent many days solving digital jigsaw puzzles of pictures of family who were constantly on his mind and in his heart. His grandchildren's names were some of the last that he could recall, and they brought a smile to his face and produced the words "I love you."
The family would like to thank the caregivers at Sharon Towers and Hospice and Palliative Care Charlotte Region for their compassion and dedication during this difficult time.
A private service will be held at 2:00 PM on Friday, March 26, 2021, at Myers Park Presbyterian Church that will be livestreamed on the church's website at https://myersparkpres.org/funerals.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Sharon Towers Resident's Assistance Fund, 5100 Sharon Road, Charlotte, NC 28210 or Hospice and Palliative Care Charlotte Region, P.O. Box 470408, Charlotte, NC 28247.
Arrangements are in the care of Kenneth W. Poe Funeral & Cremation Service, 1321 Berkeley Ave., Charlotte, NC 28204; (704) 641-7606. Online condolences can be shared at www.kennethpoeservices.com.