Hereford’s memory honored

Posted on Monday, July 9, 2012 at 2:54 pm

A Fayetteville Rotary Club award was dedicated to the memory of James Strong (Jim) Hereford, Jr., during last week’s club meeting.

Mr. Hereford, a longtime Fayetteville attorney and community leader, died Jan. 8 at the age of 65. He had served as city attorney to the City of Fayetteville since December 2008. He was also a former Fayetteville alderman and former Lincoln County commissioner.

“We are honored today to present a plaque in memory of our friend, Jim Hereford, to someone who best represents the ideals of Rotary as Jim did,” said Dick Farrar, a Rotarian, during Tuesday’s meeting. “Here today to share in presenting this plaque is Jim’s wife, Bonnie, his mother-in-law, Margaret Carter, brother, Rufus Hereford and his wife, Margaret, his beloved executive assistant, Amy Hammons, John Underwood, city mayor, Jim Lee, city administrator, close friends, Phil and Connie Prichard, Cary Sullivan, Ranny Ellett and Martha Farrar.

“Jim was a true Rotarian, always putting Service Above Self and upholding and furthering the principals and ideals of the Rotary Way of Life,” Farrar continued. “There are other deceased Rotarians that placed Service Above Self as Jim did, and as always we coulda, shoulda perhaps have presented exemplary plaques in their memory years ago as well. 

“I counted 25 such deceased members this morning at the museum, just since I have been in the club, who fit this category, Bonnie’s father and Margaret’s husband Lewis Carter being one of them.  Lewis and Jim were a lot alike in many ways – when they worked they worked, and when it came time to enjoy life and have fun they laid away work and had fun.  And both enjoyed a gook joke, whether it was listening to one or telling one.

“Unlike Lewis, Jim never served our club as president,” said Farrar. “I know he was asked to do so, but he did not want his extra curricular activities to get in the way of serving his clients at that time in his life.”

Farrar went on to talk about Mr. Hereford, his youth, his wisdom and wit, and his way of life.

The James Strong Hereford, Jr., Service Above Self Award was then presented by Farrar to Lucy Carter Williams, 2012-13 Rotary president and a Fayetteville Rotarian since 1995.

“This is an incredible honor for me,” Williams said, “first, to receive an award such as this, and second, to be honored in the name of Jim Hereford, a dear friend and family to me. Jim loved Rotary, and he loved his community, and while I may not be able to live up to his standards, he will always set an example for me in how to live life and how to serve this club and our community.”

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