Sally James

February 25, 1944, in the Old Leaphart Hospital in downtown Jessup Georgia, Sally Jeannean Dukes made her entry into this world-the middle child born to Norman Dukes and Addie Flowers Dukes.
Sally was a small child-4 11” at her tallest and rather shy, as she matured she developed a rather deep voice- a trait many people remember her by-and an asset in dealing with school children later.
Her childhood was pretty much normal as she attended Wayne County Schools.
Sally loved to cook -a passion shared by her daughter, son, and grandson. She was an accomplished seamstress. Her biggest fear growing up was when her grandma would say “we’re going fishing” for that meant catching grasshoppers. She would hide under her bed.
Sally’s first full time job was in the Manhattan Shirt Company where she distinguished herself by sewing her own fingers together. Later after her marriage to Ted James, an engineer at the local ply mill, her vocational interests turned to education. She was employed by Wayne County and Lumpkin County Schools where she retired in 2007 as a paraprofessional. She worked in a number of roles from Special Education to Physical Education-mostly always with young children. She truly loved these children and they returned it despite her deep commanding voice.
Sally’s life changed forever when she learned in the early 1980’s that she had polycystic kidney disease. She fought the disease until 2007 when her niece Ginger Lewis Pumpelly donated a kidney.
May 2016, Sally suffered a brain hemorrhage and two strokes from which she never fully recovered. Then after battling nearly nine years she went to be with the Lord.
Sally is preceded in death by her parents, a daughter Tammy, two sisters; Annette McCoy and Eleanor Hedrick, a brother Donald Dukes. She is survived by her sister Tillie Lewis, a daughter Kim Fennell, son Randy James, her husband Ted of 61 years, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
The choice of Psalm 23 as the theme of the celebration of life for Sally Jeanne (Dukes) James was not accident. Sally walked through the valley several times during the last nine years.
Family will receive friends at Dahlonega Funeral Home on May 20, 2025 from 12pm until the service time at 2pm. Interment to follow at Dahlonega Memorial Park Cemetery
Acting Pallbearers Jim Global, Brice Inma, Gary Latz, John Moore, Scott Baird, and Josh Pumpelly.
In lieu of flowers please make donations in Sally’s honor to the American Kidney Foundation https://www.kidneyfund.org/