James W. St Clair
(April 1, 1935 - January 26, 2022)

James W. St Clair, 86, of Huntington, WV, passed away on January 26, 2022. Jim was born in Charleston on April 1, 1935, to J. William St Clair and Daisy Litz St Clair. His family moved to Huntington in 1937, where he lived the remainder of his life. He is survived by his loving wife, Doris “Mickey” St Clair, and four children: Trish Deford (John), Laura Johnson (Jim), J. William “Bill” St Clair (Habiba), and Sam St Clair (Joan), his nine grandchildren, Henry Deford, Virginia St Clair, Zoey Stull, Emily Johnson, Olivia St Clair, Daisy St Clair, James St Clair, Sophie St Clair and Samir St Clair, and two great-grandchildren, Rowan St Clair and Lennox St Clair. He was preceded in death by his grandson, Sam Deford. Jim graduated with honors from Huntington High School, where he was elected Governor of WV Mountaineer Boy’s State, achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, was captain of the WV All-State football team, and lettered in football (Academic All-American), and wrestling (National Wrestling Hall of Fame). While earning his BA in History from University of Virginia (Dean’s List) on an athletic scholarship, he earned 12 varsity letters in football, wrestling and lacrosse. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from UVA Law School and returned to Huntington to practice law. One of his outstanding achievements while practicing law was winning a case for the Tuebert Foundation, which provides funding for the American Foundation for the Blind. He served on the boards of First Huntington National Bank and WV Trial Lawyers Association. He also served as President of the West Virginia Board of Bar Examiners, Tri-River Council of Camp Fire Girls, Cabell Wayne Historical Society, Huntington Symphony Orchestra and the Greater Huntington Parks and Recreation District. Over the years, he and his wife, Mickey, pursued many historical preservation projects, notably Heritage Village, the Madie Carroll House and the Coin Harvey House. His endeavors also included converting the old Miller School property to a neighborhood multi-use park, rehabilitating the C.H. Freeman Estate and giving new life to the Masonic Temple Building. He has assisted in the renovation of numerous residences in Huntington and was very active in the Presbyterian Church, where he served as a Deacon, Elder and Sunday School teacher. He was placed on the Huntington Wall of Fame in 2019. Jim travelled the world spreading law practice management techniques to the Ukraine, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Costa Rica. In his spare time, Jim enjoyed traveling the globe with Mickey, his children and grandchildren. He spent his final years living at the Woodlands Retirement Community, where he was taken care of by the wonderful staff, nurses and his caregiver, Walter Bindler.