James Sherwood Thompson

James Sherwood Thompson, 86, passed peacefully from this life on July 31, 2024. A patient and loving husband and father who always put his family first, he is remembered for his kindness, generosity, humility and gentle wisdom. He was a faithful member of the Baha’i Faith, inspired by its message of the unity of mankind and all religions. 

Sherwood was born on June 21, 1938, in Oxford, N.C., to Robert Eustice Thompson and Virginia Evelyn Lawrence Thompson. The family soon moved to Virginia Beach, Va., where he grew up. At Princess Anne High School, Sherwood was captain of the marching band and played trumpet in his own dance band, the “Stardusters.” He and his cousin Mike bought a small boat with a 25hp Evinrude motor and together they enjoyed many good times water skiing with friends. 

He attended UNC-Chapel Hill, where he graduated in 1960 with a B.S. in Business Administration. In college, he saved his money, bought a small airplane, an Aeronca Chief, and began a lifetime love affair with flying. He earned his private pilot’s license, and later obtained his commercial and instrument ratings. 

He volunteered for the Navy in 1961 and was accepted into the Naval Officer Candidate School program. His intention was to be a jet pilot. Unfortunately, after beginning training, they discovered he could not hear high frequencies, and he was not able to continue. 

He drove straight back from Pensacola to Chapel Hill, where he proposed to the love of his life, Lois, who he had met in the fall of 1960 on a blind date. They married on Dec. 27, 1961, and lived in Chapel Hill until Lois graduated in 1963. Sherwood earned his MBA at UNC-Chapel Hill that same year. 

The couple lived briefly in Burlington, N.C., and Dayton, Ohio, where Sherwood never got used to the cold, before settling and raising their children in Wilmington, N.C. 

After moving to Wilmington, Sherwood managed a small data processing firm, which he later purchased and named National Data Processing. He played in several bands, including a German band, a baroque quartet, a jazz band, and the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra. He also enjoyed many days sailing small boats, waterskiing, and playing with his family at the beach and on the intracoastal waterway. He owned a series of small airplanes and enjoyed short flights up and down the coast, often with his family.

After Sherwood’s retirement, he and Lois moved to Winston-Salem to be near their daughter, Marie, where he enjoyed many UNC games and trips to the nearby mountains. 

He is survived by his loving wife, Lois; his children and their spouses, Dean Sherwood Thompson (Lauren), Grant Sherwood Thompson (Katherine), Steve Sherwood Thompson (Jamie), and Marie Thompson Freeze (Jerry); eight grandchildren, Sierra (Stephen), Ryan, Alma, Henry, Carter, Benjamin, May, and Kyle; and two great-grandchildren, Rinoa and Grayson. 

The family had a private graveside service at Westlawn Gardens of Memory in Clemmons, N.C. There will be a Celebration of Life on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, at 2 p.m. in the chapel of Hayworth-Miller Funeral Home in Winston-Salem. Flowers are welcome, as are memorials to your favorite charity or to Trellis Supportive Care.