Obituary of James Terry Hurt

James Terry Hurt, age 91 of Hampton, Georgia, passed away on August 20, 2020. Mr. Hurt was born in Forsyth County near Cumming to the late Benjamin Hurt and the late Pauline Hurt. The youngest of six children, he grew up in Gainesville and graduated from Gainesville High School. He graduated from North Georgia Military College in 1951. Professor Pigg sparked in him a lifelong interest in electronics resulting in his passing the FCC examinations for a First Class Radiotelephone, Second Class Radio Telegraph, Amateur Radio Extra Class license (call sign W4NNU). After graduating, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the US Army and was trained as an Infantry Officer at Fort Benning in Columbus. After service training infantry troops at Fort Jackson SC, he was shipped off to Korea to serve in the Korean War. Upon arrival in Korea, due to a critical shortage of Communications Officers, he as a Second Lieutenant, became a Battalion Communications Officer in charge of all battalion communications and telephone equipment in the 25th Army (“Tropic Lightning”) Division. Upon completing his Army active duty, he became a Captain in the Army Signal Corp Reserves 1953-1964. Military medals that he received included the Combat Infantry Badge, Korea Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, Overseas Service bar, and National Defense Service Medal. After exiting Army active duty, he married Lillian Abbott of Barnesville. Using the GI Bill, he graduated in 1958 from the Southern College of Pharmacy (now Mercer University School of Pharmacy) while also working as a police car radio dispatcher and CW radio telegraph operator for the Atlanta Police Department. He then began a 40-year career as a Registered Pharmacist in Barnesville, Griffin, Atlanta and Macon, Georgia, including 27 years as a hospital pharmacist for Charter Medical Corporation. He also worked as a Radio Broadcast Engineer for radio stations WGGA in Gainesville and WGRI in Griffin. He was very diverse in his many hobbies and interests including musical instruments, guitar, violin, pipe organ, banjo, and piano. Other hobbies included Ham Radio (CW and building radio equipment), auto mechanics, carpentry, and the Spanish language. Jim lived a life of learning and upon retiring went back to college and received college degrees in Spanish and Computer Electronics. His wife, Lillian Abbott Hurt of 60 years passed away in 2013. He is survived by his daughter, Susan Hurt King (and Tim King) of Collierville, Tennessee, son, Kenneth Hurt of Peachtree Corners, granddaughter, Mia King of Collierville, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. He was a long time member of the Second Baptist Church of Griffin. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Henry County Humane Society, 46 Work Camp Road, McDonough, Georgia 30253. For additional information as to the above, please contact Kenneth Hurt at 404-771-9705. A graveside funeral service for James Terry Hurt will be Saturday, August 22, 2020 at 2:00 PM in Lamar Memory Gardens, Barnesville, Georgia. Friends may visit the family prior to the graveside service, from 12:00 PM until 1:45 PM at Williams-Westbury Funeral Home. To sign the online registry or to send a condolence online, please do so at www.williams-westburyfuneralhome.com. Williams-Westbury Funeral Home, 526 College Drive, Barnesville, is serving the Hurt family.