James David Cobb

Spartanburg, SC- James David Cobb, born November 25, 1918, as the eldest son of the late James Wiley and Ethel Greenewald Cobb, died peacefully at his home on Sunday, June 24, 2018. He attended the public schools of Spartanburg and graduated from Spartanburg High School in 1935. He graduated from the Citadel in 1939 with a B.S. degree in Business Administration, ranking fourth in his class scholastically and ranking third militarily as a Cadet Major, Artillery Battalion Commander.

In 1939, he began working at Greenewald’s Inc., a retail men’s clothing store established in 1886 in Spartanburg, SC. He served as co-owner and Vice-President from 1953 until his retirement in December of 1983.

He was a member of the Board of Directors of both the Spartanburg Travelers’ Aid Society and of the Spartanburg Community Chest as well as a director of the Spartanburg Chamber of Commerce from 1957-1960. In 1949, he was chairman of the Spartanburg County Chapter of the American Red Cross and chairman of the Retail Merchants Bureau in 1951. He was elected to the Board of Trustees for Converse College in 1953, proudly serving until 1978. He also served as President of the Kiwanis Club in 1958 and was a member of the Spartanburg Country Club and Cotillion Club. He was a lifelong member of the First Presbyterian Church of Spartanburg and served as Deacon for many years.

An avid learner and teacher, Mr. Cobb completed many Church Bible Study programs and taught Senior High Sunday School. He also completed a literature course taught at Wofford College by his son John C. Cobb. He was involved with the adult literacy program, teaching several to read. He was an avid Bridge player and earned Life Master status while competing on both a local and national stage.

Mr. Cobb was an Artillery Officer in the U.S. Army on active duty during World War II from April 1941 until March 1946, being promoted to Major in November of 1944 and stationed in Hawaii from January 1942 until November 1945. Post World War II, he held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserves until he was honorably retired in November of 1978.

He married Alice Burnett Cooke, daughter of Wilbur Carter and Gertrude Burnett Cooke, on June 29, 1941 at the First Presbyterian Church in Spartanburg. They had two children before she died in 1948. He was formerly married to Louise Elizabeth Cleveland, on June 15, 1952 at the Episcopal Church of the Advent. They had one son.

He is survived by his son, James David Cobb, Jr., and his daughter, Ann Carter Cobb Johnson and her husband, Stewart Heath Johnson, of Spartanburg. He was predeceased by a son, John Cleveland Cobb. Other survivors are eight grandchildren: Alice Cobb Howell and her husband, Louis Peyton Howell, Jr., of Spartanburg; James David Cobb, III and his wife, Jennifer West Cobb, of Isle of Palms; Stewart Heath Johnson, Jr. and his wife, Ann Mullins Johnson; David Greenewald Johnson and his wife, Louise Bradley Johnson; Jamie Cobb Johnson Boyd and her husband, Pascal Strong Boyd III; Ann Burnett Johnson Hopkins, all of Spartanburg; Elizabeth Cleveland Cobb of Evanston, Illinois; and John Austin Cleveland Cobb of Murray, Kentucky. There are fifteen surviving great-grandchildren: Louis Peyton Howell, III, Madison Cobb Howell and his wife, Rachel Tidd Howell, Elizabeth Ann Johnson, Sarah Cobb Johnson, Alice Mullins Johnson, David Houston Johnson, Bradley DuPre Johnson, Bennett Maxwell Johnson, James Cameron Boyd, John Carter Boyd, Heath Johnson Boyd, John Robert Hopkins II, William Stewart Hopkins, Anna Lucile Cobb, and James David Cobb IV. He was predeceased by his brother, John Leiston Cobb.

A memorial service celebrating the life of James David Cobb will be held on Wednesday, June 27, 2018 at 3:00 PM at First Presbyterian Church, 393 East Main Street, Spartanburg.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the John C. Cobb Scholarship Fund, Wofford College, 429 North Church Street, Spartanburg, SC 29303.