Journalist Faile, who covered Darlington County news for 35 years, dies at 62

From Staff Reports

Veteran Pee Dee journalist Jim Faile, who worked for the News & Press for 14 years and most recently had been serving as acting editor of The Hartsville Messenger, died March 2. He was 62.
Faile covered Darlington County news for the News & Press and the Messenger for 35 years. In November, educators honored him for 35 years of covering Darlington County schools.
Funeral services for Faile were held March 5 at Emmanuel Baptist Church. Burial was in Westview Cemetery, directed by Norton Funeral Home.
Faile’s obituary, posted on Norton’s website, states that he was born in Hartsville, a son of Sally Gandy Faile and the late James Leslie Faile Sr.
He was the first student to enroll at Emmanuel Christian School, his obituary says, and was a member of the first graduation class.
He was a graduate of Francis Marion University with a B.S. degree in political science, then attended the University South Carolina School of Law, then went back to Francis Marion University and received a B.S. degree in journalism.
He began his career with the News & Press. Then he went to the Hartsville Messenger / (Florence) Morning News and was associated with that paper until his death.
Faile’s obituary says he was a lifetime member of Emmanuel Baptist Church and served on the Emmanuel Christian School Board and on the United Way Advisory Board.
In 2019 he received the Jimmy Newsom Signature Award from the Darlington County School District Teacher Forum for his comprehensive coverage of educational issues. (He learned he had won the award while covering the teacher forum for the Messenger and its sister paper, the Morning News.)
In 2003 he was named South Carolina Journalist of the Year.
At the time of his death, Faile was acting editor of the Messenger and was, in effect, the only remaining member of its staff in Hartsville. It was not immediately known how the Morning News’ parent company would operate the Messenger in his absence.
Surviving are his mother of Hartsville; three sisters, Cindy Faile, Mali West Africa, Jonie Garland of Hartsville and Dr. Barbara (Mandres) Moran of Greenville; two brothers, Danny Faile of Hartsville and Rick (Rosemary) Faile of Columbia and several nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be made to Emmanuel Baptist Church, 949 North Marquis Highway, Hartsville 29550.

Author: Stephan Drew

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