Obituary of James H. Riggs, III

James H. Riggs, III, 65, of 231 Hotchkiss St. Jamestown passed away on Saturday, April 23, 2016, in the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, following a courageous battle with leukemia. An area resident for most of his life, he was born May 8, 1950 in East Liverpool, OH a son of the late James H. and Janet L. Musser Riggs, II. He was a 1968 graduate of East Liverpool High School, Jamestown Community College and earned his Bachelor's Degree in journalism from Point Park College in Pittsburgh, PA. Before his retirement in December of 2014, he enjoyed a 40 year career with the Jamestown Post Journal retiring as a longtime sports editor. He was a member of the Bethel Lutheran Church, the Chautauqua Golf Club and a longtime member of the Board of Directors for the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame, where he was named Director Emeritus in 2014. He was also inducted into the Jamestown Community College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001 for his coverage of JCC Athletics for 40 years. Jim loved all sports, especially baseball and golf. He was an avid fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Pirates and the Tennessee Titans. He also had a keen interest in model trains. He loved covering sports for the Jamestown community and cared deeply about the people involved in the local sports scene. He covered the Jamestown entry in the NY-Penn Baseball League for 35 years and was their official scorer for most of those years. He covered the Jamestown High School Football Program for 30 years and wrote his weekly article "All in a Day's Sports" in the Post Journal since 1975. Over the years Jim received several awards in writing from the New York State Associated Press. Surviving are his wife Sharon Johnson Riggs whom he married August 17, 1974, a son, James H. (Melissa) Riggs, IV of Nolensville, TN, three grandchildren, Brennan J., Cora K., Seth B. Riggs all of Nolensville, a sister, Carol S. McKee of Methuen, Mass., as well as several nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 A.M. Friday in the Bethel Lutheran Church. The Rev. Alan Anderson, interim pastor will officiate. Friends will be received from 4-7 p.m. Thursday in the Lind Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Bethel Lutheran Church, 904 West Third St. Jamestown, NY 14701 or to the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame, P.O. Box 1192, Jamestown, NY 14702-1192.