James "Jim" Alan Hickman

James “Jim” Alan Hickman was surrounded by his his loving family when he passed peacefully on to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on June 14,2022 at 9:47a.m. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 17, 2022, at Mulberry Street United Methodist Church, with the Reverend Jimmy Asbell officiating.  The family will greet friends following the service. 

Jim was born May 13,1949, to Kenneth Alan Hickman and Kathryn Evans Hickman in Sistersville, West Virginia. The family later moved to Paden City, West Virginia, where Jim excelled in football, golf, basketball and both the marching and concert bands. Jim, who played lead trumpet, often practiced with his window open, serenading the neighbors with many songs such as Wonderland By Night and How High the Moon, which they remember fondly as “sounds of unmatched beauty.” Jim also enjoyed traveling with his high school marching band as far as Fort Lauderdale to compete, and made records during the mid-sixties.

As an adult. Jim traveled south in the winters to work at Inverness in Florida. During one of his drives, Jim was enjoying a breakfast stop in Macon when he heard about a new golf club called River North opening. In 1975, Jim accepted a job at River North and settled in Macon, which he would call home from then on with his wife, Len, who he met in 1979 and married the next year. Jim brought 3 sons to the marriage, and he and Len welcomed two daughters and an additional son to complete his family.

Jim spent 15 years working at River North Golf Club, during that time he started the Paul Walsh Pro Am Tournament alongside Betty Whittle. The success of this tournament led to the development of the Hogan Tour Event, currently known as the Nationwide or Korn Ferry Tour. This tournament began in Jim a lifelong love for raising money for countless charities. During these early years in Macon, Jim was also the Golf Coach for Mercer University (1977-1983), allowing him to develop his passion for teaching younger golfers about the sport he loved.

Jim went on to work an additional 15 years at Bowden Golf Club until he retired from the city in order to help develop The Club at River Forest. During his career, he also served on the PGA Board of Directors and was a Lifetime Member of the PGA of America

In 2005, Jim retired as a golf pro, but chose to continue teaching individual and group golf lessons, as this allowed him to remain involved with his unique passion for sharing the world of golf with youth.

Jim’s love of golf and passion for sharing it didn’t go unnoticed. In 1990, Jim was named as one of the top 10 most influential sports figures in Macon by the Macon Telegraph and News. He humbly received numerous other accolades including the NAACP Service to Mankind Award from the Macon Evening Sertoma Club in 1989 and the Christian Athlete Award in 1996 for Hamilton Bowden Men’s Golf Association. He was named the Honors Golf Championship Honoree for Service to Macon Golfers in 2008 and several years ago was named PGA Youth Teaching Pro of the year for Georgia.  In 2009, Jim was also inducted into the Macon Sports Hall of Fame.

Jim served as an active member of Vineville United Methodist Church and just prior to his passing, happily agreed to act as co-president of his robust Sunday School class, the Allen Sanders Class. Jim always gave of his talents without expectation of ever receiving anything in return.

Above all, Jim was known for his kindness and love for friends, family, and animals, having been known to administer life saving measures to a family goldfish more than once. If you were ever his friend, you were always his friend. Friendships and family were his treasures in life. Jim's physical body left those cherished friends and family too abruptly, but the lessons he shared with them will long outlive him because of the love and time he poured into each person he loved.

Jim is preceded in death by his parents, Kenneth Alan Hickman and Kathryn Evans Hickman; daughter, Kathryn Ruth Hickman, and brother-in-law, Roger Simmons. He leaves behind his wife of 42 years, Len Hickman, a brother, Andy Hickman(Sheila), a sister, Barbie Turner(Scott), sister-in-law,  Iris Simmons,  four sons and one daughter, James Scott (Patty) Hickman, Mark Robin (Lori) Hickman, Jason Matthew (Ryan) Hickman, Brooks Hickman (PJ) Shippey, Richard Andrew (Alycia) Hickman; his grandchildren: Chris Hickman, Justin Hickman, Tiffany Hickman, Casey Hickman, Matthew Hickman, Kate Shippey and Pierce Shippey; bonus grandchildren: David Pendley, Jessica Cederholm, Kirsten Holley and Tiffany Robinson;  11 great-grandchildren,  8 bonus great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Jim Hickman Foundation to help finance an annual golf tournament to raise funds for various charities in the area. Donations can be mailed to 102 S St NW, Thomaston, GA, 30286.

Please visit www.hartsmort.com to express condolences.

Hart’s at the Cupola, Hart's Mortuary and Cremation Center, 6324 Peake Rd, Macon, GA 31210 has charge of the arrangements.

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