James "Jim" W. Spence, Jr.

James Winford “Jimmy” Spence, Jr., 74, of Thomson, died Wednesday, September 27, 2023, at his home, surrounded by his family. A resident of Thomson for more than 35 years, he is survived by his wife, Mary Ruth Teston Spence; his daughters, Kelly Suzanne Evans of Thomson and Brandy Shelton Cannariato of New Jersey; his sister, Shirley Mitchell Phillips, of Sacramento, California, and his brother, David Keith Spence (Amber), of Sacramento, California. He was predeceased by his daughter, Angela Christine Spence White. Mr. Spence is also survived by his two grandchildren, Mary Lynn Evans and David Harrison Evans, of Thomson, and his sons-in-law, Butch Evans and Matthew Cannariato.

The son of the late Mary Frances Shirley Spence and James Winford (J.W.) Spence, Sr., Jimmy was born in Anderson, South Carolina, on February 27, 1949. Jimmy was a musician and had perfect pitch. He grew up in Augusta, Georgia, graduated from the Academy of Richmond County, and attended Augusta College. He honorably served six years in the National Guard. Jimmy was born and raised in the Baptist faith, attending First Baptist Church in Augusta. In the 1970s, he joined the Episcopal Church. He was a Holy Cross Episcopal Church Thomson member for more than 35 years, where he served as both Junior and Senior Warden and taught Sunday School. While Junior Warden, Jimmy oversaw the construction of the current sanctuary. A man of sincere faith, Jimmy also served on the Diocesan Council, was a delegate to the Diocesan Convention, and served with Epiphany, a youth correctional ministry for five years.

Throughout his career, Jimmy was an accomplished businessman, blessed with a keen mind, integrity, a strong work ethic, and a personality that endeared him to his business partners, employees, associates, and legions of friends throughout the CSRA. Jimmy understood the art of relationship building within business long before it became a teaching concept and carried those relationships across multiple sales channels. Jimmy taught and sold insurance for 25 years, but the job that gave him the most pleasure was building commercial waste companies. Jimmy was a member of the Thomson Kiwanis Club and the Metro-Augusta Builders Association, where he served on the board.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, October 1, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. at Holy Cross Episcopal Church, Fluker Street, Thomson, with the Rev. Ray Whiting officiating. The family will receive friends at the church immediately after the service. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Jud C. Hickey Center for Alzheimer's Care, 1901 Central Avenue, Augusta, Georgia 30904, or to a charity of your choice. The family would like to sincerely thank the staff of Promedica Hospice, especially Kelly, Cindi, Melinda, and Ab

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