James Burnett

James L. Burnett, 94, of Spartanburg, died Thursday, November 23, 2017, at his home. He was born September 26, 1923, in Spartanburg County, in the Carlisle section near Boiling Springs. He grew up there surrounded by houses of relatives. He was a son of the late Connie Lee Burnett and Minnie Jane Burnett Burnett. He attended Boiling Springs High School, Southern Wesleyan University, and Robinson Business College. His two passions to the end of his life, were his business interests and his wife, Julia. James began his career at Draper Corporation in Spartanburg, but soon moved to work for the Clinchfield Railroad. His mentor was his grandfather, J. R. Burnett. World War II brought his work career to a halt, but it provided one of the most amazing chapters in his life. He entered the Army at Fort Jackson, but never went through basic training! He was waiting for a spot in the pilot training program when the losses of D-Day brought a new urgency for more infantry. James was part of the 106th Infantry and became the company clerk, as the officers and sergeants finally understood he still had not fired a gun in the Army. Soon shipped to England, James and the 106th ended up facing Germany lines by mid-December 1944. James had a deep fox hole and a gun, but he was on the front lines of the Battle of the Bulge. The German attack quickly flanked the 106th and on December 19, 1944 James was captured. With his uncanny knack of understanding what demands each situation might require, James dressed warmly and well compared to many of his fellow soldiers. He arrived on Christmas Eve in the spa town of Bad Orb, which had a notorious prison camp with some 20,000 prisoners, including British, Serbian, and Russian soldiers. It was cold and grim there and by the time General George C. Patton's troops liberated the camp, James was critically ill and weighed only 90 pounds. He was shipped out by airplane to Paris. Finally returning to the United States, he was found to have tuberculosis, a sure killer at that time. But once again James' luck and good sense brought him through. He sought the care of his good friend, the late Dr. Euta Colvin, then in residency near Atlanta. He kept healthy enough to take advantage of the just discovered life-saving sulfa drugs for tuberculosis. He received the Medal of Honor as a Prisoner of War. Throughout his long life, James Burnett took advantage of many business opportunities with skill, hard work and an awareness of long-term demands and the unexpected. James first went to work for his grandfather, a cotton merchant. James bought out a plumbing contractor became a master plumber. One of his first jobs was installing plumbing for all the houses in the Spartan Mill Village. He partnered with his younger brother Paul Burnett in many ventures, they saw a need for a trucking business to move cotton from Gins to mills in the area. They also created subdivisions and building houses to meet the demands of the post-war era. James and Paul also got into the peach business with some 500 acres of peach trees. Then James started Burnett TV and Appliance and later he opened Ace Hardware and the Hummingbird store. Then he operated Ace Finance Company and Ace TV Rental Corporation. In the 1980's he was named Spartanburg Business Man of the Year. In the 1990's until 2010 James developed six subdivisions on the Westside of Spartanburg. James was a member of the Lions Club and SEBA. He enjoyed fishing and traveling. He served as a deacon at Southside and First Baptist churches and was a member of First Presbyterian Church. In addition to his beloved wife, Julia, James is survived by daughters, Janet Burnett McLeskey (Jerry) of Spartanburg and Nancy Burnett Mackey (Harold) of Isle of Palms; step-daughter, Letitia Burnett Uyak (Jeff) of Charleston; grandsons, Jason L. McLeskey (Michelle) and James L. McLeskey of Spartanburg, Alexander Mackey of Isle of Palms, and William "Benjamin", Paul James and Thomas Martin Uyak of Charleston, and two great-grandsons, Jackson and Matthew McLeskey of Spartanburg; a brother, the Rev. Donald Lewis Burnett (Loretta) of Columbia; and a sister-in-law, Sheila Burnett. James was predeceased by a sister and brother-in-law, Verna Burnett Johnson (Walter) and brothers, Paul A. Burnett, Sr. (Lois) and Bobby Lee Burnett. The family would like to thank Sharon Hardy and staff for their kind assistance to James. The family will receive friends from 6:00-8:00 PM on Thursday, November 30, 2017 at Floyd's Greenlawn Chapel, 2075 East Main St., Spartanburg, SC 29307. The funeral service will be held at 2:00 PM, Friday, December 1, 2017 at First Presbyterian Church, 393 E Main St, Spartanburg, SC 29302, officiated by the Rev. Dr. Tom Evans and the Rev. Donald Lewis Burnett. The service of committal, with inurnment in the church columbarium, will be held privately with James' family. The family request no flowers please and that in lieu of flowers contributions in James' memory be made to First Presbyterian Church, Beautification Committee, 393 East Main Street, Spartanburg, SC 29302; Spartanburg Regional Hospice Home, 686 Jeff Davis Drive, Spartanburg, SC 29303 or to the charity of one's choice. Floyd's Greenlawn Chapel To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of James L. Burnett please visit our Sympathy Store.