James P. Gilreath

James (Jim) Preston Gilreath (76) passed away on Wednesday, August 21, in Greenville, SC. Born in Greenville, he was the son of the late Charles E. and Margaret Charles Gilreath. He received his BS and MS from Clemson University and his PhD from the University of Florida. He and his wife, Phyllis, lived in Bradenton, FL before moving to Myakka City, FL, where they lived in and cared for their 40-acre orange grove while working for the University of Florida and running a private consulting business. Jim was nationally and internationally known for his research. He loved his work and received more than $3 million in grants to fund his research projects. He retired in 2006. In 2007, he received the Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for his research on limiting the use of ozone depleting substances in agriculture production. He and Phyllis were always a team, both in their personal and professional lives. In 1998, they received the T.J. Carter Outstanding Conservationist Award for the way they managed their Myakka City citrus grove. In 2007 they were inducted into the Manatee County Agriculture Hall of Fame. Jim loved the outdoors, their fur babies and woodworking. He was an active member of the Greenville Woodworking Guild. He was a hard worker, kind, compassionate and generous to a fault. He and Phyllis moved back to Greenville in 2008 where they resided in his family home. In addition to his parents. he was preceded in death by two brothers, John David Gilreath and Charles (Chuck) Gilreath, Jr., and sister, Mary Gilreath Roberts. He leaves his wife of 49 years, Phyllis, his sister, Jean Gilreath Martin, his sister-in-law, Carolyn Gilreath, brother-in-law, Jim Roberts and loving nieces, nephews and friends. An informal gathering of friends and family will be held on Wednesday, September 4, 6 pm, at 11 W. Hillcrest Drive in Greenville. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Alley Cat Allies or the American Cancer Society.