JAMES III, Charles H.
July 29, 1958 - January 7, 2021
On Thursday, January 7, 2021, Charles H. James III, an entrepreneur, husband, and father of three children, passed away at the age of 62 in his home in Atlanta after a brief illness.
Charles, known as Chuck to his friends and family, was born on July 29, 1958 in Charleston, WV to Charles H. James II and Lucia Bacote James. A 5th generation West Virginian, he received his BA from Morehouse College in 1981 and an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania in 1985. After his MBA, he returned to West Virginia to work with his father at CH James & Co., a wholesale foods distribution company established in 1883, recognized as one of the oldest African-American owned companies in the United States.
As a 4th generation entrepreneur, he worked his way up in the company to become the Chairman & CEO, expanding it from a local wholesale food distributor to a leading international supplier to the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Defense and the Veterans Administration. Later Chuck purchased the controlling interest in North American Produce Co. based in the City of Industry, CA, supplying produce to McDonald’s restaurants throughout the western United States and Asia. During this time he and his family resided in Pasadena CA for ten years. In 2004, in partnership with Goldman Sachs, he acquired a total of 48 Burger Kings throughout Chicago, IL and Birmingham, AL.
Among awards, C.H. James & Co. was named “Company of the Year” by Black Enterprise magazine (1992) and Chuck was inducted into the West Virginia Business Hall of Fame (2007). Other honors include the Morehouse College Candle in the Dark Award, the Dow Jones Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence and the Office of the Governor’s Distinguished West Virginian Award. He served on several boards including Morehouse College, Wintrust Financial Corporation, the Children’s Hospital in Chicago, the Steppenwolf Theatre and the Graduate Board at the Wharton School. Chuck was a member of the Sigma Pi Phi and Alpha Phi Alpha fraternities. He also enjoyed membership at The Jonathan Club, The California Club and Annandale Golf Club.
Chuck was known for his lively gregarious nature, infectious laugh, stately presence and classic style. An avid reader, he had a passion for history and biographies and he enjoyed lively discussions on the subjects. Chuck also loved travel with his family including annual visits to Martha’s Vineyard and one of his most memorable trips was a family safari to South Africa. He had many longstanding friendships, spanning his life from childhood through college and into relationships crafted through his many business and community service initiatives.
On September 25, 1982, he married his college sweetheart, Jeralyn Williams James. They raised three sons, Charles Howell IV (C.H.), Nelson, and Jerome (William).
Chuck was preceded in death by his father, Charles James II. He is survived by his former wife of 28 years, his three sons, his mother Lucia James, sisters Sheila Pleasant (Reginald), Dr. Stephanie Williams (Gary) and Sarah Irby (Derek), and several nieces, nephews, cousins, and close friends.
A celebration of life service will be held in the future at a date to be determined. He will be laid to rest with his father in the family grave site in Charleston, West Virginia. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to his beloved Morehouse College.