James Ellis " Jim " Childress

James Ellis Childress died Monday, November 13, 2017 at the age of 74. He was the son of the late Thomas Allen Childress and the late Martha Suddath Childress. Jim is survived by his wife, Nancy M. Childress, daughters Alethea Peebles and Katherine Tolson and their husbands, Mark Peebles and Edgar Tolson, and three grandchildren, Sara Tolson, Wesley Tolson and Hannah Peebles, all of the Greenville, South Carolina area. He is also survived by his sisters Linda Milliken of Union, Missouri and Caroline Naysmith of Travelers Rest, South Carolina and brother David Childress of Lake Wales, Florida, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Jim was a Greenville native (GHS 1961) although frequently absent due to a 40-year career as an engineering consultant to the aerospace industry. He worked on the development of more than a dozen military and civilian aircraft programs in addition to numerous space programs. He completed graduate work at the University of Washington in composite materials and most recently worked on development of the Boeing 787 at Everett, Washington and North Charleston, South Carolina. He had been individually recognized by Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space Company for his work on the flight computers for the Trident II submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missile. Jim held numerous professional certifications.

Jim enjoyed building and flying light experimental aircrafts in addition to his professional work and was licensed to pilot airplanes, seaplanes, and gliders. He volunteered as a Technical Counselor for the Experimental Aircraft Association. He was diagnosed with advanced kidney cancer in late 2006 and was expected to survive only a few months. He enjoyed over a decade of robust health before succumbing. Jim was an activist in the promotion of justice for all people and was a longtime member of the Greenville Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and the American Humanist Association.

The family will receive friends at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 16, 2017 at Augusta Rd. Baptist Church, 1823 Augusta St., Greenville, SC, with a memorial service to follow at 3:00 p.m. Service will be conducted by Rev. Pat Jobe and Rev. Matt King.