Jim Nottingham, Class of 1961, passed away Tuesday, May 15.

He had been hospitalized in Morgantown.

Jim and another Jim, McDaniel, Class of 1960, who lives in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, have been friends since they began at Worthington Grade School.

Jim Nottingham made a habit of hanging out with his Worthington childhood friends. 

In recent years Jim met monthly in Worthington with Edward Burley, Class of 1962, widower of Katherine Ely Burley; Roy “Jaybird” Murphy, Class of 1966; Joe McCullough, Class of 1962; David  Willis, Class of 1961; Clifford Morgan, Class of 1961; Harold Maze, Class of 1961; Wilbur Smith, Class of 1960; and Howard Shuttlesworth Jr., Class of 1972.

The late Nelson Jay Starcher, Class of 1960, who married Karen Cool Starcher, also was a lifelong friend to Jim.

Jim showed up at a Monongah High Alumni Reunion with Robert Harbert, a Monongah High grad who joined Jim and Harold Maze to visit Jim McDaniel in Rehoboth Beach a few years ago. Jim Nottingham also attended the 2011 MHS Alumni Reunion. Maze and Harold Kniceley also visited Jim McDaniel.

The Jims – Nottingham and McDaniel – were patrol boys at Worthington Grade School and made a 3-day trip to Washington, D.C. for their reward.

Darin Nottingham is Jim’s son. The late Mary Ellen was his sister.  

Linda Nottingham Willis, Class of 1964, a majorette and class officer at Monongah High, and John T. “Tommy” Nottingham, Class of 1968, married to Victoria Blocker Nottingham, Class of 1969, are related to Jim.

The late Virginia was a daughter of Richard Blocker and Lucille Loss Blocker, who was a daughter of J.B. Loss and Josephine Dieling Loss.

Linda, Jim's cousin, still lives in Worthington.

Jim Nottingham missed a year of school at Monongah High after being shot in a hunting accident near Harter Hill.

There’s something about Worthington that creates lifelong friendships. 

Marylee Hertzog Gwinn, Class of 1948, of Rockville, Maryland; Bettie Hensley Lowther, Class of 1948, of Pompano Beach, Florida, and Suzanne Barr Loss, Class of 1948, of Mill Fall were Monongah High cheerleaders from Worthington who were known as the Three Musketeers because they ran around together during their MHS days.

And remained in contact with each other even though they lived up and down the Atlantic Seaboard, till Suzi passed away.

Jim’s obituary:

James Franklin Nottingham, 75, of Fairmont, passed away on Tuesday, May 15, 2018 at the Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown. He was born July 2, 1942 in Fairmont, a son of the late Albert Jack Nottingham and Emma McGruder Nottingham.

He was employed by Electronic Control systems in Fairmont having retired with over 30 years of service. He loved traveling, especially to Northern Europe, enjoyed the Florida beaches, metal detecting, and bicycling. He was also an avid collector of guns, knives, and hats and loved animals and nature.

Survivors include 2 sons: Greg (Karla) Nottingham and Darren Nottingham all of Rock Hill, SC; a brother: Gene Riley of White Hall; 4 grandchildren: Michael Corbin, Devan Kyle, Ashton Sydney, and Alyssa Taryn Nottingham; 2 great grandchildren: Jadence Michael and Ashylnn Grace Johnson; nieces and nephews: Vicki Riley, Sherry Cottrill, Rhonda Riley Wilson, Robert Kipling Riley, Stephanie Riley Sharp, Levenna Swiger, and Vivian Cramer. In addition to his parents, James was preceded in death by a sister: Mary Ellen Nottingham and a brother: David Riley.

There will be no public visitation or services. Cremation arrangements are entrusted to the Hutson Funeral Home in Farmington. www.hutsonfuneralhomes.com