James Allen Oldham, III 88, of Wilmington, NC died June 19, 2019. Mr. Oldham was born May 30, 1931 in Wilmington, NC son of the late James Allen "Doc" Oldham, Jr. and Frances Dunbar Oldham. He is survived by his wife, Michele Rydant Oldham, son, Dr. James Oldham, IV and his wife Donna; grandchildren, Matthew and Laura Caroline Oldham; daughter, Cynthia O. Strickland and grandchildren, Stacy Holloman and Benjamin Strickland, step-grandchildren, Spencer & Hillary Braswell and great-grandson, Caden Matthew Holloman. Mr. Oldham graduated from New Hanover High School in 1949, attended Wake Forest University before joining the Air Force in 1952. After returning from service, he graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1958 with a B.S. in Pharmacy. He actively practiced as a relief pharmacist for 31 years, having worked in Kenly, Stantonburg, Selma, Morehead City and Beaufort, NC. Jim became interested in ornithology as a teenager and through the years helped friends and neighbors provide food, shelter and housing for wildlife. One of his main goals in life was to leave a legacy saying that indeed "he made a difference". Mr. Oldham developed a love for surf fishing at an early age. Growing up, he fished the ocean at Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, Fort Fisher and Topsail Island. As an adult, he fished the Outer Banks, Cape Lookout Lighthouse. For 31 years he had the privilege to fish with a group of friends from Kenly, NC. The host of this yearly event was a dear friend, Dr. Carl C. Sox. Jim was a naturalist and conservationist and was a member of the National and North Carolina Chapters of the Nature Conservancy; the National Wildlife Federation; the Carolina Raptor Center in Charlotte, NC and the Purple Martin Conservation Association. Jim was preceded in death on August 28, 2002 by his lifelong friend and fellow conservationist, James Bradford Wiggins. Michele lost her best friend and fishing partner as well as her husband of 33 years. A graveside service will be held at 11am Saturday, June 22, 2019 at Oleander Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to: North Carolina Wildlife Federation PO Box 10626 Raleigh, NC 27605-0626, Nature Conservancy NC Chapter PO Box 3860 Chapel Hill, NC 27515-3860, Carolina Raptor Center PO Box 16443 Charlotte, NC 28297 or the New Hanover Humane Society 2405 N. 23rd St. Wilmington, NC 28401.

Published in the Wilmington Star-News on June 21, 2019