James Charles High

1933 - 2019

James Charles High

January 27, 1933 - January 2, 2019

Whiteville

James Charles "Jim" High, publisher of The News Reporter in Whiteville for 61 years, died Wednesday, January 2, 2019 after a brief illness.

High became publisher at the age of 25 after the death of publisher Leslie S. Thompson. High led The News Reporter to become one of the most respected community newspapers in the state.

He was also a civic leader, heading a number of initiatives to improve schools and recreation facilities, plus help create the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences at Whiteville.

He was a cheerful giver for local causes big and small, but he always had a soft spot for those less fortunate. He was a mentor and father figure to many, and was happiest when he made others happy.

He immersed himself in local projects to make Whiteville and Columbus County a better place to live and used The News Reporter as a force for good.

High was a renaissance man. He loved opera and spent many evenings with the North Carolina Symphony. He usually had two or three novels underway at any given time. He spent many hours quail hunting and fishing. He was a gardener, renowned for his tomatoes. He enjoyed following sports and had tickets at both UNC and N.C. State. Sunset Beach was his happy place, especially when any of his six grandchildren visited.

He attended N.C. State University for two years, served in the Army for another two, and graduated from UNC with a BS in Business in 1959. He married his high school sweetheart, the late Carolyn Thompson High, who died in 1985. There were married 27 years. He later married Sarah McKenzie High, his wife of 33 years.

He is survived by his wife, Sarah High of Lake Waccamaw; a son, Les High, now publisher of The News Reporter, and wife, Becky, business development director at The News Reporter, of Whiteville; a daughter, Stuart High Rogers, magazine publisher at The News Reporter and husband, Keith, of Lake Waccamaw; Sarah High's son, Paul Page of Birmingham, Ala.; and her daughter, Sarah Shifflet and husband, Allen, of Charlotte.

Grandchildren include Carly High of Austin, Texas, Margaret High of Chapel Hill and Whiteville, Elizabeth Nance and Parker Nance, both of Charlotte, Paul Shifflet of Boston and Anna Greig and husband, Robert, of Brooklyn, N.Y.

Memorials may be made to the Friends of the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences at Whiteville, 415 S. Madison St., Whiteville, N.C. 28472; the Jim High Memorial Fund, Lower Cape Fear Hospice and LifeCare Center, 206 Warrior Trail, Whiteville, and the Jim High Memorial Scholarship Fund at the SCC Foundation, P.O. Box 151, Whiteville.

A memorial service is planned for Saturday, Jan. 12 at 2 p.m. at Whiteville United Methodist Church, 902 Pinckney Street, Whiteville, with a visitation to follow. McKenzie Mortuary Service.