Dr. James Seymour Sledge went to meet his Lord and Savior shortly after his 100th birthday. He was the son of Rena and Lamar Sledge, born on Oct. 4, 1924. He attended public schools in Monticello, Manilla (Philippines, and graduated from high school at Alamo Heights in San Antonio, Texas. Jim was the president of his senior class where he lettered in basketball and football, and a member of the National Honor Society.
Upon graduation, he immediately volunteered in the U.S. Army Air Corps. Jim was trained as a Bombardier and Navigator after being sent to the College Training Detachment at Massachusetts State College in Amherst, Mass. Prior to classification as a Bombardier, he finished Gunnery School in Las Vagas, Nev. After pre-flight, he graduated from Bombardier and Navigation Schools. At the end of World War II, Jim was discharged in December of 1945 and returned to Massachusetts to wed Rosalind Boron.
Jim began his accelerated studies at Georgia Tech for two years and transferred to Baylor University in Waco, Texas. At Baylor, he received a B.S. Degree and graduated from the School of Dentistry in 1951. He was given membership in Omicron Kappa Upsilon, a National Honor Society for outstanding clinical skills and academic excellence in dentistry.
Dr. Sledge returned to Monticello to practice dentistry from 1953 to 1993. He was a lifetime member of the American Dental Association and a member of the Florida, Georgia, N.W. District and S.W. District Dental Societies.
Dr. Sledge was a member of First Baptist Church of Monticello since 1937 and a deacon since 1959, serving as chairman for several terms. He taught children (5th and 6th) in Sunday School for 41 years. Under the direction of the Baptist Foreign Mission Board, Dr. Sledge provided free dental services to the people of Honduras, Barbados and Granada. He completed five mission trips, one accompanied by his wife, Rosalind, to Barbados.
He was involved in many civic activities, a member of the Kiwanis Club, the American Legion and the Historical Society. While serving as chairman of the Historical Society, the purchase of the Wirick-Simmons House was completed. In 1982, he was honored as parade marshall in the annual Watermelon Festival. Dr. Sledge was chairman of the group that organized the Boots Thomas Memorial. In 1971, he was chairman of the group that purchased the Aucilla High School building. With the advice and council of Reverend Raymond Blair, Aucilla Christian School was founded. Dr. Sledge visited 3rd graders at all local schools where he gave a dental pack to each child. He also devoted one day a month for dental care to indigent children.
Upon retirement, Jim and Rosalind traveled extensively in the U.S., Canada and Europe.
Preceding him in death were his parents: Rena and Lamar Sledge; two sisters, Emma and Quin; and his wife of 72 years, Rosalind. He is survived by two children, James Lamar (Morry) and Rebecca (Gerry), both of Monticello, Fla.; grandson, Scott McCall (Lia) of Kailua, Hawaii; great-grandson, Zachary Kapili James Alan McCall of Kailua, Hawaii; and numerous nieces and nephews.
The family would like the acknowledge dear friend, author and historian, Rebekah Sheats, and the A-Z Corporation (Abigail, Belle, Corban, Gideon, Josiah, Lillian, and Zoe Burrell) who were a source of music, laughter and joy.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to The Boots Thomas Veterans Memorial Park Foundation, Inc. (P. O. Box 626, Monticello, Fla. 32345) or to First Baptist Church of Monticello.