The Obituary

On July 12, 1927, Isiah James, Jr. was born down the bayou in Iberville Parish, Louisiana, to Ellen Stewart James and Isiah James, Sr. He was the eldest of 11 children, 9 of whom survived infancy. After serving in the Army at the end of World War II, he relocated to New Orleans to attend Xavier University, graduating in 1953.

In 1950, Isiah married the love of his life, Mary Edith Taylor, another student at Xavier whom he knew from his hometown. Their story is an unmatched romance that produced seven children. Rosalind, Jyrl, Isiah III, Robert Sr., and Frederick Sr. in exactly six years, followed a decade later by a sixth child, Karen, and 2 ½ years later by the seventh, Jolena. Isiah was determined his wife would complete college, which she did when his oldest child of their five children was only 7. Mary, his soulmate, best friend, and foundation, passed away on October 4, 2016, 3 months short of 66 years of marriage.

Isiah exemplified his passion for history and languages by teaching those subjects to middle school students. His love for children and his thirst to make a difference, one child at a time, was similarly reflected in his passionate 30 years of service as a Los Angeles County juvenile probation officer.

Determined to protect his children from the indignities of racism in the south, Isiah displayed courage when in 1962, with no pre-identified job, he joined the Great Migration and relocated with his wife and five children, all under the age of 12, from New Orleans to Los Angeles. In 2006, joined by over 25 family members, Isiah relocated to Charlotte, which provided him a robust life of retirement with friends who seemed to have been with him his entire life.

If you were a child of Isiah by birth or association, you learned to understand that no one promised life would be fair, but it was your responsibility to make life work by being a person who is honest, loves to learn, works hard, savors success, manages consequences of adversity, appreciates each person’s strengths as well as their weaknesses, and most of all, loves oneself. “To thine own self be true” was a non-negotiable requirement, followed by “and thou can be false to no other man.” That is how he lived.

Isiah loved living, whether monitoring his real estate acquisitions, playing bridge, philosophizing, admiring nature, or reading poetry to his descendants and anyone willing to listen and engage in discussion.

Daddy, Isiah, Uncle, Grandpa, Papá, Great-grandpa, Mr. Isiah, Mr. James did not leave a tower or mountain with his name. Instead, he left a greater legacy - his living children: Jyrl, Isiah (Jo Ann), Robert (Anne-Marie), Karen, and Jolena James-Szanton (Peter Szanton). His 15 living grandchildren-Janet Sisson (William), Frederick James Jr. (Kenyatta), Cassandra Dixon (Albert III), Rachel Harrison (Melvin), Crystal James, Juan Pavageau Jr. (Danielle), Gabrielle Pavageau (Joseph Harding), Angela James, Joslyn Massengale, Isiah James IV, Megan Pavageau (David Field),  Courtney James, Robert James Jr., Alex (Zoe) Szanton, and Kai Szanton; 23 great-grandchildren, Maleia and Noah Pavageau; Abigail and Joseph Thanos Jr. Harding; Lucille and Clementine Field; Skyler Massengale; Albert IV and Aiden Dixon; Tristan and Dylan James; Kai Hayworth; Elizabeth James; Ethan Simpson; Alijaah, Ishmael and Kendrick James; Dené Vaden, Diamond Loyd, and Kiara, Melachi, Mikell, and Jordynn Harrison; great-great-granddaughter Anaiise Robinson and a host of family members by love. Isiah is also survived by his brother Walter James and sister Gladys Lorraine Perkins, cousin Elmo Pannia, Peter Dawson, his friend for over 85 years, sister-in-love Geraldean Ayers, Rosa and Andres Gonzalez, who joined the family over 35 years ago, nieces, nephews, cousins, and countless friends, including special friend Marion Lewis. In addition to Rosalind James Pavageau and Frederick James Sr., Isiah was predeceased by his oldest son Obroy James and grandson Joseph Massengale III.

Funeral Service

Private services for the family will be held at Greater Bethel A.M.E at 11 a.m. on Thursday, February 17, 2022. Interment services for the family at Gethsemane Cemetery and Memorial Gardens will follow.

We regret we must limit attendance due to COVID restrictions. A live stream of the service is available with this link: http://www.gbame.org/james

Send Flowers

In lieu of flowers, the family requests you consider contributions in memory of Isiah James Jr. be sent to:

Xavier University of Louisiana

PO Box 650658
Dallas, TX 75265-9915

Repast

In honor of Isiah, the family is hosting a drive-by, grab a box lunch repast from 2:00 PM. until 2:30 PM at 3232 French Woods Road. Charlotte, N.C. 28269.  Please honk your horn and remain in your car masked.