James Ayers Cannady

Jim Cannady was a man of quick wit and kind heart. He loved cracking jokes, and playing pranks. To meet Jim was to be the recipient of a joke, often at your own expense.

James Ayers Cannady was born on May 26th, 1945 in the Skeeter Point community of Sampson County North Carolina. Raised in a rural community as one of seven children of farmers. It was at Hobbton High School in Newton Grove where Jim laid eyes on a beautiful classmate named Doris Ann. He volunteered to drive her field trip school bus in an effort to meet her. He must have made quite the impression because Jim and Doris Ann Cannady were lucky to celebrate 53 years of wedded bliss before her passing in 2018. It was also at Hobbton High school where Jim met a group of classmates whose friendship he cherished for more than 60 years.

Jim and his new bride settled in Garner to raise a family and run a business. Jim was a licensed plumber serving the triangle area for over 50 years. He was the owner and operator of Jim Cannady Plumbing for many of those years.

He was active in the local community via the Garner Jaycees as well as local youth sports. He coached all three of his children’s teams and sponsored many teams in the local recreation leagues via Jim Cannady Plumbing.

There is nothing Jim loved more than a good time. He had a fondness for fishing and golf that was nurtured with family and friends who shared the same passions. He loved a good joke, a good party, dancing, playing cards, and celebrating those he loved. Be it hosting Christmas breakfast, or a family pig pickin’. He created space for those he loved to gather at “The Olde House” in Newton Grove, where many pigs were cooked over hardwood coals in his homemade cooker. If you were lucky, maybe he passed down some words of wisdom about the proper technique of cooking whole hog BBQ. Jim Cannady leaves a legacy to many in the next generation who can cook a pig almost as good as he could.

Jim was preceded in death by his beloved wife Doris Ann Cannady, his parents Erastus (Boose) Cannady and Betty Lucille Johnson Cannady as well as brothers Forrest Ray Cannady, Donnie Cannady, Tony Cannady, and sister Ellen Kearney.

He is survived by his sons Hugh Cannady (Jamie) of Surf City, NC; Eric Cannady (Angela) of Garner, NC; daughter Jaime C. Mixon (Kevin) of Corpus Christi, TX; grandchildren Alexis Cannady, Harris Cannady, and Hudson Cannady. In addition to his loving children and grandchildren, he is survived by brothers Delmar (Peewee) Cannady, and Glenn Cannady

The sun set on May 31st to a world infinitely less hilarious. His family and friends are grateful for the lasting silly he brought to our lives, but are comforted in the knowledge that he and his beautiful Doris Ann are together again.

For those wishing to make donations in Jim’s honor the family would like to suggest the following organizations: Transitions Hospice Care (Trinity Road in Raleigh, NC); Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS.ORG); and The American Diabetes Association.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday June 8th at 1pm at Bryan-Lee Funeral Home in Garner, NC. The family will receive visitors immediately following the service.