JAMES CYRIL SEFTER

James Cyril Sefter, 83, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, passed away on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at Grand Strand Medical Center, following a heart attack. His two daughters, who live in the area, were at his side at his passing.

He was born on December 1, 1940, in Allentown, PA. He was predeceased by his parents, John L. Sefter and Catherine J. Sefter (nee Krupansky), and by his loving wife of 45 years, Anne Sefter (nee Herncall), and sisters Joan Cecilia Sabatine and Mary Jean Bold, as well as by his brother John Charles Sefter.

Jim is survived by his daughters, Michelle Hockersmith and Meg Schelin, his sons, Bradley Sefter and Andrew Sefter, his brother, Joseph Sefter, and his sister, Catherine Wuestner, as well as by grandchildren Ashlie Branham and Brandon Branham, great grandchildren Malachi and Levi, and many nieces and nephews.

Jim joined the United States Navy at age 18, and served from 1959 to 1967, stationed in the Mediterranean with the U.S. Sixth Fleet, and at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. His training with the U.S. Navy and with IBM prepared him for a successful civilian career as a computer programmer and systems analyst for various manufacturers and hospitals based in Virginia. After his father-in-law retired, Jim took over the running of the Herncall family's dry-cleaning business. He and Anne later retired to Myrtle Beach, SC, and Jim turned his joy at cooking into a second or third career, working as a cook for a local pub, The Sundown, in Surfside Beach, SC.

Jim was a Mason, Past Worshipful Master of Monroe Masonic Lodge No. 301 AF&AM, and District Deputy of the 25th Masonic District of Virginia.

Per his wishes, there will be no memorial service.

In 2021 Jim participated in the STORYCORPS Military Voices Initiative for the Library of Congress, recording an interview about his time in the Navy, traveling and meeting remarkably interesting people, including the actress Jayne Mansfield, who happened to be visiting Greece when Jim and a few of his shipmates were on shore leave. We invite you to listen. Please search James Sefter April 6, 2021, at https://archive.storycorps.org It is a wonderful interview, and it serves as a memorial to Jim.