"Jim" James Benjamin Edwards died on June 27th 2018 in Columbia, SC at the age of 83. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia on April 27, 1935 to "Tobe" James Thomas and Louise Francis Edwards. "BoBo" graduated from Fayette County High School, Georgia (1953) where he lettered in Football and Basketball and was inducted into their Sports Hall of Fame in March 2013. He served eight years with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve (1954 62) as an enlisted Marine.

Dr. Edwards was an Accounting MBA and PhD graduate of Business Administration from the University of Georgia (1971) and Sigma Chi. He taught countless students over the years as an instructor at the University of Tennessee, Nashville (1964-1966), an instructor at David Lipscomb University (1963-1966), and as a Professor of Accounting and Business Administration at the University of South Carolina from 1971-2016. During his four decade tenure at South Carolina he helped create the leading International School of Business and received three School of Accounting Faculty Distinguished Service awards, a Faculty Lifetime Achievement Award and a graduate level scholarship named in his honor.

Dr. Edwards held numerous professional certifications (CPA, CMA, CGMA, CIA, CCP, CCA), and was a former managing partner of several CPA firms, Vice-President and board member of General Data Service Inc., board member of Atlanta Bible Camp, Georgia Christian Foundation, Spring Valley Country Club, Co-Founder and Treasurer of Spring Valley Education Foundation and consultant for the office of the South Carolina Attorney General and Comptroller. He published more than 100 articles in academic and professional journals, receiving eight national awards for excellence and lifetime achievement recognition in Marquis Who's Who In Finance and Business, In Finance and Industry, In American Education, In the South and Southwest, In America, and In The World, and also listed in The International Directory of Distinguished Leadership. However, his favorite publication was his recent book THE FINAL WORD – published by iUniverse, 2016.

Jim was a devoted and loving husband, father, teacher, avid golfer, coach and faithful member of the Palmetto Church of Christ. He is survived by his wife of over 60 years Virginia Ann (Reagin) Edwards, sons James B. Edwards II, and Chad Reagin Edwards, daughters Calli Ann Wilson, and Judy Clair Turbeville, grandchildren Reagin West Edwards, William Lee Wilson, Caroline Pearl Turbeville, Reese Woodson Edwards and son-in-law William Lee Wilson.

The family will receive friends from 3-5pm, Saturday, June 30th at Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, 7600 Trenholm Road Ext., Columbia SC.

His favorite charities are The Southeastern Children's Home, PO Box 339, 115 Children's Way, Duncan, SC 29334 and The Epilepsy Foundation, PO Box 96546, Washington, DC 20077-7222.