James Charles “Jim” High

James Charles “Jim” High, publisher of The News Reporter in Whiteville for 61 years, died on Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019, after a brief illness.
High became publisher at the age of 25 after the death of publisher and his father-in-law Leslie S. Thompson. High led The News Reporter to become one of the most respected community newspapers in the state. He was a past president of the North Carolina Press Association.

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

He was a cheerful giver for local causes big and small, but he always had a soft place in his heart 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.

He was beloved by his employees, one reason why so many members of The News Reporter family have worked there for 30, 40 or 50 years or more.
High was a renaissance man. He loved opera and spent many evenings with the North Carolina Symphony in Raleigh. He usually had two or three novels underway at any given time. He was an avid outdoorsman and 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 was actively engaged at The News Reporter until three weeks before his death. He had an IPhone and IPad but used his trusty Underwood typewriter for his work.

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. They were married 27 years. He later married Sarah McKenzie High, his wife of 33 years. His parents were the late Lonnie Haynes “Boy” High and Ferrell Moore High.

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

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 North Carolina 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 was held on Saturday, Jan. 12, at 2 p.m. at Whiteville United Methodist Church at 902 Pinckney Street in Whiteville. Visitation followed.