Sebring attorney James McCollum Jr. dies

A large void opened up in Sebring on Saturday night with the passing of local attorney James F. McCollum Jr., as an actor, a director, community leader, Heartland Idol board member, March of Dimes event chairman, fundraiser, Community Redevelopment Agency commissioner, friend, grandfather, father and husband.

McCollum, 64, reportedly suffered a myocardial infarction (heart attack) and reportedly died at Florida Hospital Heartland Medical Center.

"We are very sad to report that last night Highlands Little Theatre lost one of its most dedicated members and one of its founding fathers, Jim McCollum," Goldie Garnish, HLT vice president, wrote in an e-mail Sunday.

"He will be sorely missed. Please keep (his wife) Sue, the family, and all of HLT in your thoughts and prayers."

If he wasn't dressed as Uncle Sam on July 4, where he stood rain or shine outside the theater selling his famous grilled hotdogs and sausages, McCollum was often seen at informal functions dressed in a Hawaiian shirt, shorts and Panama hat.

Community Redevelopment Agency Executive Director Pete Pollard said he knew McCollum on a number of levels.

"As a personal friend for nearly 30 years," said Pollard. "I knew him as the attorney for the Highlands County School Board for the 12 years I served. I knew him quite well through HLT and through the many organizations he belonged to that want to help people.

"He had a big heart," he said. "This is a man who would not take any salary to ensure if business was bad that his employees got paid. He took care of his people. He had a great sense of humor and didn't take himself too seriously."

He knew him through years at Highlands Little Theatre.

As a fundraiser, "Jim had a way of twisting your arm while making you laugh in the process," said Pollard.

Highlands Little Theatre

According to a historical compilation by the late Roy Riedy, McCollum's name appeared in the very first play program published by the theater group, well before they had a permanent home.

The play was "Pure As The Driven Snow (A Working Girl's Secret)," a melodrama by Paul Loomis, Riedy wrote. It was presented for just three days, July 25-27, 1974 and was directed by Libby Sapp, produced by Bob McCarthy, and starred Kathy Gerber as Purity Dean and James McCollum as Eric Z. Pickens.

"In the "About the Cast" section of this first program, readers were told that Jim "started his theatrical career as a 'raindrop' in his first-grade play," Riedy wrote. "Realizing that a career as a 'raindrop' would be rather limited, Jim became a very good attorney."

Aside from volunteering his time on and off stage, in April of 1982 he was elected HLT president. His agenda included finding the theater a permanent home.

This dream was realized in May 1982, when HLT signed a 30-year lease with the city of Sebring for the use of its building known as The City Pier.

McCollum was also involved in the expansion of the theater, this time promoting the fundraising for construction of a rehearsal pavilion.

The 29th season saw the HLT groundbreaking ceremony for the Drs. Thakkar Pavilion in December 2002. The ceremony was conducted by McCollum as the chairman of the building committee.

"Jim was always fun," said Vanessa Logsdon, executive director. "Working the Fourth of July, cooking his gourmet hot dogs; outside no matter what the weather was - greeting everyone as the went in.

"He would pretend to be a curmudgeon but he was too kind, too generous, so it was easy to see through it."

The lawyer

McCollum served as attorney to the Highlands County School Board from 1976 to 2000, said Connie Scobey, executive school board secretary. He remained on retainer for several more years for outstanding cases.

Scobey said she worked with him many years.

"He was very active in and gave a lot to the community," she said. "It's a major loss. He's going to be missed."

Highlands County Judge Olin Shinholser said Monday, ironically, McCollum was supposed to be one of the first attorneys to appear before him Monday morning. Of course that case was postponed so his partner could get up to speed.

Shinholser said he first met McCollum back in his days as a prosecutor.

"I've known Jim a long time," Shinholser said. "He was a very thorough and aggressive litigator, and very generous to the community.

"On a personal level he was very kind to me and very helpful when I ran for county judge (in 1986) he campaigned for me.

He lost that campaign to Judge David Langford.

"Jim was always involved in politics. People running for judge would contact him. He had a lot of political influence."

The others-centered man

He was born in Reidsville, N.C., and lived in Fort Lauderdale before moving to Sebring, where he and wife Sue raised two daughters, Audra and Amy.

McCollum was involved in many causes, including the March of Dimes.

Community Director for the March of Dimes Connie Young was behind getting McCollum into the dunk tank, when he was chairman for the March for Babies event on May 1.

"He had a deep-rooted commitment for babies and people in general," said Young. "We grew the donation for that event to $35,000, a 19 percent increase."

McCollum served Mexican food and brought in the Heartland Idol board to help. They provided entertainment for the event thanks to McCollum, she said.

"I called him our community darling," said Young. "He said 'Look, I'm an attorney and I have to be tough and win cases. You can't go around ruining my reputation by calling me a community darling.'"

He was also the event chair for the upcoming Signature Chef's Auction, on Nov. 11, at Chateau Elan.

"I feel very motivated to see it through to honor him," she said.

He was a good friend of Good Shepherd Hospice, said Regional Director Becky McIntyre.

"We're all going to miss him terribly," she said. "It's was a shock to all of us."

The funeral service for McCollum will be at 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 19 at St. Agnes Episcopal Church, 3840 Lakeview Drive.

A memorial celebration of McCollum's life will be held immediately following the service at Highlands Little Theatre.

The family suggests memorials to any of the following: Relay for Life, March of Dimes, Good Shepherd Hospice or Highlands Little Theatre.