Jim Cherry

1945 - 2023

CHERRY, Jim

Jim David Cherry, 77, of Atlanta, Georgia, passed away on May 22, 2023.

The son of Jim and Virginia Brown Cherry, Jim was born in Sandersville, GA. He was one of four children. At the age of two, his family moved to Decatur where his father took a job as school superintendent of the rapidly expanding DeKalb County School System. "Jimbo" graduated from Druid Hills High School in 1963 and went on to UGA where he was a member of the SAE fraternity and graduated from the Henry Grady School of Journalism. There he met Lucy Arnold Cherry, who he married and later remarried. Lucy devotedly cared for him through the last years and his final bout with pancreatic cancer.

Jim and Lucy settled in Morningside/Lenox Park where they were active in the civic association. Jim began a successful career in the insurance business and made many long-lasting personal friendships with clients, employees, peers, and partners. He possessed a strong sense of integrity and ambition which he harnessed to become a principal owner of Manry & Heston, Inc. From 1976-2015 at Manry & Heston Jim was instrumental in developing the business and guiding the agency into its second century to become Atlanta's oldest continuous operating insurance agency from1887 to the present.

Jim was indomitable, tough, self-confident, and a bit of a risk taker. He enthusiastically pursued a wide array of hobbies and interests, which included coaching baseball and football at Briarcliff Community Sports, racing his Husqvarna 750 in motocross, flying his Cessna airplane, water skiing, competitive distance running, snow skiing out West, riding his motorcycle across country to Sturgis, South Dakota, and golf at Ansley Golf Club.

Jim was most proud of raising his three boys, David, 55, of Atlanta, Jason, 51, of Atlanta and Thomas, 32, of Denver, Colorado. He had a large extended family and was gracious and generous with his time and support for his sons, grandchildren, sisters, sisters-in-law, nieces, and nephews, with whom he greatly enjoyed sharing his granddad jokes and "clever" wit.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents; and his sister,Vicki Durbin. Survivors include his wife, Lucy; his sisters, Lynn Cherry Grant and Sally Cherry Wade; his sons, David Cherry (Dawn), Jason Cherry (Cindy), Thomas Cherry (Brianna); his second wife, Wende Haire Cherry; his grandchildren, Jay, Jack, Wilson, Pete, Helen, Ethan, Sofia, and Leoncio. And many beloved nephews and nieces.

On Thursday, June 22 there will be a private family memorial service at First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, followed by a celebration of life at 4:00 at Ansley Golf Club for all friends and family, 196 Montgomery Ferry Rd, Atlanta 30309. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Boyce L. Ansley School https://theansleyschool.org/ways-to-give/ and First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta Community Ministry https://www.firstpresatl.org/give