Mr. James Harold Burgess, 87, of Ridge Road, Hartwell, passed away Monday, August 17, 2015 at Athens Regional Medical Center.

Born on January 10, 1928, in Toccoa, GA, he was the son of the late Paul Burgess and Estelle Brown Burgess.Mr. Burgess was a retired co-owner of Modern Tire Co. and a member of the First Baptist Church of Hartwell, where he was a former deacon and a member of the Fellowship Bible Sunday School Class.He also was a member and past President of the Hartwell Kiwanis Club, former Lt. Governor of Kiwanis International and loved working in his garden. He was a US Navy veteran.

Survivors include his wife: Ruth Keller Burgess; one son: Douglas Burgess and his wife Luanne; one daughter: Dolores Reed and her husband Mark all of Hartwell; two grandchildren: Lindsay Burgess and Ansley Burgess; one sister: Loutrell Honea of Toccoa.Mr. Burgess was preceded in death by his parents and one brother: Billy Dean Burgess.

Funeral services will be Wednesday, August 19, 2015, 1:00 pm at the First Baptist Church of Hartwell with Dr. Steve Albanese and Rev. Carter Tucker officiating.The body will be placed in the church at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon. Burial will be in the Liberty Hill Baptist Church Cemetery in Eastanollee, GA between 3:00 - 3:30 pm.

The body is at the Strickland Funeral Home of Hartwell, where the family will receive friends from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Tuesday evening.The family is at the home.Memorials may be made to the Gideon's International Hartwell Chapter, P.O. Box 59, Hartwell, GA 30643 or the First Baptist Church of Hartwell, 81 E. Howell St, Hartwell, GA 30643.

The Strickland Funeral Home of Hartwell is in charge of all arrangements.On-line condolences can be sent to the family at www.stricklandfh.com.