James Wallace Mercer, Jr.

Mr. James W. “Jim” Mercer, Jr., a resident of Price Road near Moscow, United States Veteran and husband of Mary Ann Leatherwood Mercer, died at 3 P.M. Saturday, July 24, 2010, at his residence. He was 66 years of age and died following a one year illness.

Funeral services for Mr. Mercer were conducted at 2 P.M. Tuesday, July 27 at the Peebles Main Funeral Chapel in Somerville with Rev. Gary Joyner of Somerville officiating. Interment, with military honors, followed in the Forty-Five Cemetery on Hwy. 57 at Moscow. Arrangements were provided by Peebles Fayette County Funeral Homes – Main Chapel of Somerville.

Mr. Mercer was born March 26, 1944, in Dublin, Georgia, the son of the late James Wallace Mercer, Sr. and the late Doris Bradshaw Mercer. He received his high school and college education in Georgia and was a United States Air Force Veteran who served in Iceland during the Vietnam era. He was married July 29, 1969, to the former Mary Ann Leatherwood, a native of Moscow, who survives. Mr. Mercer was a Methodist and served for many years as a manager for the Golden Peanut Co. in Atlanta, Georgia before his retirement. Mr. Mercer was a former resident of Pelham, Georgia before returning to his wife’s home community of Moscow six years ago. He was a family oriented person who found much enjoyment in coaching his sons while they played baseball in earlier years.

In addition to his wife, Mr. Mercer is survived by two sons, Jon Mercer of Manassas, Virginia, Cory Mercer of Gainesville, FL; two sisters, Barbara Howell of Allentown, GA and Anne Mercer of Dublin, GA.

Active casketbearers were Floyd Steward, Dale Gaither, Glenn Harvey, Jay Minor, J.T. Minor and Kendal Minor. Honorary casket bearers were Brent Aaron, Bob Hatley and J.T. Tacker.

The family requests that memorials be directed to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.