James Obed Sartin, 88, of Shelbyville, passed away Thursday, February 3, 2022 at Our Hospice of South Central Indiana.
He was born April 1, 1933 in Jayess, Mississippi, the son of Floyd E. and Vela G. (Boyd) Sartin. On November 16, 1962 he married Barbara A. (Coers) Sartin and she survives.
Other survivors include a daughter Sheri L. Sharp, her husband Scott Sharp, and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, a son Karl “Scott” Sartin, a brother Rev. Myron Douglas Sartin, and his beloved English Bulldog Omar.
Mr. Sartin grew up in Sartinville, Mississippi graduating from Walthall County High School in 1951 in nearby Jayess. After high school, he worked in the oil drilling industry in New Mexico and Midland,Texas. Soon after, family friend Bill Ayers told him there was “work to be found up north” in Shelby County, Indiana, so in 1952, James moved to Shelbyville. He served with the U.S. Army from 1954-56 and was stationed in Giessen, Germany in 1955 where he was part of the 282nd Field Artillery Battalion.
James also began a career in fiberglass manufacturing starting at Pittsburgh Plate Glass (PPG) in 1952. He stayed with it through two other owners: CertainTeed (1974-78) and Knauf Fiberglass (1978-87 at the Shelbyville plant and from 1987-1994 at the Lanett, Alabama plant). In his career, James started at entry level- working his way from swing shift to supervisor, eventually becoming Plant Manager at the Shelbyville facility from 1981-82. Before his retirement in 1994, he had also been named Purchasing Manager at the Lanett plant. Having experienced such success yet having so little in his early life in Mississippi, he was certainly thought of as a “self-made man”.
In the early 1970’s James (known as “Jim” or “Tater” to his friends) started singing bass with gospel quartets including the “Happy Five” and the “Pilgrims Quartet”- later known as the “Bethel Ambassadors”. The group taped several albums together and he was featured on several songs.
He also liked to write poetry, tend a vegetable garden with his wife Barbara, and he enjoyed watching IU basketball during the Bobby Knight era. His fondness for cars (particularly corvettes) led him to tinker with automobile engines- to include re-building and racing go-karts and attending ¾ midget races. He also loved the Indy 500 (favorite driver was A.J. Foyt of course!)
Mr. Sartin was a member of the Shelbyville First Church of the Nazarene.
Funeral services will be at 11:00 am, Wednesday, February 9, 2022 at Glenn E. George & Son Funeral Home, 437 Amos Rd., with Pastor Steve Bohall officiating.
Burial will be in Mt Pisgah Cemetery, Shelbyville.
Friends may call on Wednesday morning from 9 a.m. until the time of the service at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions may be made to OUR Hospice of South Central Indiana in care of the funeral home.
Online condolences can be shared at glennegeorgeandson.com
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