James B. “Jim” Maxwell, 84

January 04, 2026

James B. “Jim” Maxwell passed away January 4, 2026, in Lancaster County PA after many years of living with frontotemporal dementia with his wife and daughter by his side. He moved from Durham NC in 2016 to be near family after his retirement in 2014.

The only child of Harold Irvin Maxwell and Lydia Beckett Maxwell, he grew up in Virginia’s lower Tidewater region, graduated from Randolph-Macon College, attended Duke School of Law on a moot court scholarship and later founded the Durham law firm of Maxwell, Freeman and Bowman PA. He loved arguing cases for his clients in the courtroom. He served as board chair of Legal Aid Society of NC, on the board of Lawyers Mutual Insurance, and he became the first person to serve as board chairs of both the North Carolina Bar Association and the NC Association of Trial Lawyers. Among his honors are YMCA Layman Distinguished Service Award, Randolph-Macon Distinguished Alumni Award, and the Duke University’s School of Law’s Charles S. Rhyne Award. The Durham County Bar and 14th Judicial District Bar awarded its first Centennial Award to him for community service, and the NC Bar awarded him the I. Beverly Lake Award for Public Service.

He met his wife in 10th-grade algebra class. They married in 1964 and would go on to have three children and seven grandchildren. They both felt privileged to have two loving daughters-in-law and a son-in-law who brought out the best in their children. All 15 members of the family celebrated Jim and Beth’s 50th anniversary with a week of adventure travel, including ziplining through mountains in Costa Rica.

After founding and coaching a swim team at the YMCA, he discovered that Durham’s Jordan High School didn’t have a swim team, and he volunteered to create and coach the high school program, continuing for nearly 30 years, rising before 5 a.m. for practices and tinkering with relay lineups in his study at home in the evening. Maxwell led the Jordan Jellyfish to five state championships and 17 regional championships, coaching his three children along the way. Many of his former swimmers said that he helped mold them into the adults they became; Maxwell said the kids helped keep him young. He was inducted into the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame and served on the national board of the High School Athletic Association. His passion for mentoring also led him to also be a coach and advisor for the Duke Law School’s National Moot Court Team, which won a national competition.

In Westminster Presbyterian Church, he served as an elder, deacon and Sunday school teacher. He donated countless hours working with nonprofits, including Urban Ministries and the Durham Arts Council. Both Jim and Beth believed in giving back. Together, they co-earned an award for Lifetime Service to the Durham Public Schools. Gov. Mike Easley awarded Jim with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the highest civilian honor a North Carolina governor can bestow, and the mayor of Durham proclaimed May 26, 2002 as Jim Maxwell Day for his service to youth He was named Father of the Year by the Durham Merchants Association and “No. 1 Dad,” according to at least three or four coffee mugs and Christmas gifts from his children. Jim loved Christmas, laughing, telling stories, playing games with his grandchildren and the joy of competition. He loved the serenity of Sunset Beach and the excitement of Cameron Indoor Stadium.
He is survived by his wife, their children Jonathan, Scott and Tracey; their respective spouses April, Cyndee and Adam; and seven grandchildren Cameron, Maxwell, Chase, Cole, Ella, Marin and Graysen.

The family is planning a celebration of life service later this year in North Carolina.
In lieu of flowers, friends and loved ones are welcome to make a donation in Jim’s memory to the North Carolina Bar Foundation’s Legal Aid of NC Fund (8000 Weston Parkway, Cary, NC 27513 or ncbarfoundation.org) or The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (2700 Horizon Drive, Suite 120, King of Prussia PA 19406 or theaftd.org).