WILMINGTON — James “Jim” Edward Newbrough was born January 21, 1954 in Clarksburg, WV. He went to be with Jesus on October 21, 2025 in the port town of Wilmington, NC.
Jim was someone whose presence could fill a room. Always a rambunctious kid, he found his first joy working with his dad “Chet” on the farm with Quarter horse western riding and showing throughout his teenage years. At age 15, he was featured in the Fredericksburg July 26, 1969 edition of the Town and Country magazine with his amazing horse Bess Talley. She won the AQHA Trail Riding register of Merit. That year he served as an assistant instructor at the Virginia Youth Western Horsemanship School at the State Fairgrounds.
His pastimes included snow skiing, scuba diving which included upside down hockey under the ice. He was accomplished at skeet shooting and sporting clays and most of his life he and Terry did considerable boating with friends on the eastern seaboard.
Jim found his life’s work and calling under the mentorship of Robert Burton at Burton’s Automotive across the road from home. He learned automotive basics and maintenance to more complex repairs. Along the way, he worked summers at various car dealership service departments.
Formal education included Germanna Community College, Virginia Tech, and received a BS degrees from Trine University in Angola, IN.
Working with Chrysler was his first and main career. His required automotive knowledge and interpersonal skills lead to serving dealerships as a customer service manager. He later was promoted to Service and Parts Manager for the Northeast Business Center. After retiring, he became a Nissan and KIA consultant in customer relations instructing dealerships on the east coast.
In his later years, he decided that he wanted to learn to play the bass guitar and was playing on the church worship team and in a garage band “Riverside”.
Jim accepted Jesus in his teenage years and put his faith foremost through thick and thin throughout life. His faith and hope in God carried him home during his final journey.
Preceded in death by his loving parents, Chester D. and Lucinda Adelene, Jim is survived by his devoted wife Terry, his son Stuart who carries forward his father’s love for life, his brother David, sister-in-law Sue, and their children Nora, Nathan, and Steven, along with five wonderful great nieces and nephews. The family’s loss echoes among his friends, his church, and countless others whose lives Jim has touched.
In lieu of flowers, remember a man who lived life in full throttle. Jim’s memory will forever inspire those who were fortunate enough to know him, reminding us all to live life with purpose, courage, and an open heart.
