James Harvey Lane Sr.

1930 - 2025

James Harvey Lane Sr.

May 28, 1930 - November 3, 2025

Efland, North Carolina - James Harvey Lane Sr., 95, passed peacefully on November 3, 2025 in Efland, North Carolina, surrounded by laughter and the love of his family. Born on May 28, 1930, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas to William Keeth and Kathryn Westbrook Lane. Harvey proudly served in the United States Air Force.

Harvey's devotion to his late wife, Joan Wolcott Lane, defined his life. Their marriage blended humor and loyalty, a partnership that became the strong root system supporting their wide, multigenerational family. He was a husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather whose patience and humor shaped every generation that followed.

He believed pleasure was a form of care, respecting good food, good company, and the joy found in both. Whether serving caviar with champagne or telling jokes over hamburgers, he made people feel welcome, safe and appreciated. His legacy lives in the way he treated others, not in what he collected.

He is survived by his children Kati (Wayne), Jim (Ginny), Susan (Larry) and Liz (Carole), along with 9 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren who will carry his stories, humor, and warmth into their own lives.

Harvey took pride in each grandchild's path, whether in sports, teaching, engineering, business, or the corporate world. To some he was chef, to others a critic, advisor, comedian, or friend.

Not long ago, Harvey shared this:

"If I were asked to give a commencement address, I would say you have finished the easiest part of your life. Now comes the hard part, your career. When you finish your career, I hope you do not say these four words: I wish I had."

At five o'clock, raise a drink for Harvey: "Here's to a life where he never had to say, I wish I had…"

To the man who was, and will always be, our Papa.