James "Jim" Morton Hefley

Asheville- James “Jim” Morton Hefley, 88, of Asheville, died Sunday, June 7, 2016 at Deerfield Episcopal Retirement Community. Born in Clarksville, AK, he was a son of the late Claude and Sibil Morton Hefley. Jim was also preceded in death by a sister, Mary Claude Hefley Kingery.

Intensely curious and a firm believer in reinventing himself every fifteen to twenty years, Jim found joy and fulfillment in three consecutive careers: selling computer systems for IBM in the early days of that industry; growing a management consulting company from 50 to 3,000 employees during his career; and, taking a completely different turn, transforming himself into an artist, working with oils and pastels, creating paintings that he sold to support his favorite charities.

Jim told great stories about the people he met and the experiences he had. Like being childhood friends with Brooks Robinson (who affectionately called him “fish food”) and staying in touch until Brooks’ death; being such a good dancer in high school that his classmates nicknamed him “Jitterbug Jimmy;” selling Sam Walton his (Walmart’s) first computer system; meeting and talking business with Prince Philip and President Gerald Ford; building a business in Europe and learning about and working with people from different business cultures; wading into the art world, which was more like being thrown overboard, as he built a business around selling his paintings for the benefit of charity.

For relaxation, Jim would take his bass boat out on the lake early in the morning or at dusk. He also loved wading in streams, fishing for trout, but mostly enjoying being in nature at its most peaceful.

Jim was an enthusiastic golfer. He played in weekly foursomes, and in golf tournaments sponsored by Carolinas Golf. He and his partner played in the senior and super senior divisions, winning several tournaments along the way, and every year they played in the championship round. He also played in tournaments at his club. When he and a friend from Arkansas, both definitely in the Senior division, played in the Member/Guest (AND WON!), beating teams of “those young guys,” Jim just said that they won because they were “crafty veterans.” He took it well when, all in fun, friends said they didn’t believe him until they saw the trophy.

Each of those endeavors fed Jim’s love of finding something new to do, deeply researching it, and turning it into something valuable and satisfying. But nothing he nurtured meant more to him than his family and friends.

Had a thorny business issue? Call Jim. Needed support during a difficult time? Call Jim. “He was definitely a business associate and great mentor but I also viewed him as more of a father figure. He was someone I could reach out to and ask just about anything and he not only always responded but also gave good info and advice,” said one of his employees.

Another said, “Many others were right there as well as friends, colleagues and warrior brothers. But Jim was and is the true North Star.”

Each year, Jim received a card from all of the participants in Casting Carolinas, thanking him for helping to fund, through the sales of his paintings, their fly-fishing camp for women cancer survivors. He also helped fund the Trout Unlimited camp for teens, for use as scholarships and for buying hats and T-shirts. The Hope Women’s Cancer Center in Asheville, which relieves some of the financial burdens for women with breast or gynecological cancer treatment costs, was the third charity to benefit from sales of a special print he designed for them. It was an artistic interpretation of the Hope Center’s symbol of a butterfly, which he lovingly created in honor of his two sisters and his sister-in-law, all of whom had had breast cancer.

Jim was infamous for sending out long emails with a string of jokes and cartoons, some so funny or outrageous that his inbox filled immediately. He liked to make people laugh, and that was his way of staying connected to so many friends from his college days, the companies he worked for, the charities he supported, his neighborhood, his clubs, and the Asheville art community.

Jim deeply loved his Arkansas roots, especially the University of Arkansas. One of his proudest moments was in 2015, when he was inducted into the University of Arkansas College of Engineering Hall of Fame, which honors alumni for demonstrating exceptional professional and personal accomplishments and making important contributions to their professions and communities.

Jim was also infamous for his obsession with college sports, but especially the Arkansas Razorback football and basketball teams. He sat in his man cave for hours watching any and all teams, but when the Hogs played, he wore his team T-shirts, turned off his phone, and shouted “Go, Hogs,” or “Woo-Pig-Sooie” when his teams did well. When they didn’t do well, he shouted “Oh, come on, ref!,” or “The fix is in.” Every year, he disappeared into his cave for March Madness, his schedule ruled by the game schedule. He even asked his wife to change her March birthday to April, “like Queen Elizabeth does.”

As busy as Jim was, he would drop everything for family. He advised without being judgmental, was a soft shoulder to cry on, took the family on great vacations, and was the heart of the Hefley clan. He had two favorite birthdays: his 80th, which he celebrated with his family at Barnsley Gardens in Georgia; and his 88th, this past May 4, when his wife, children, grandson, sister, and niece came together for a weekend filled with fun, a party on Cinco de Mayo, and abundant love.

His family will miss him forever.

He is survived by his loving wife, Marie Grosso Hefley; two daughters, Joan Hefley (Dale Johnson) and Anne Hefley; a grandson, Alec Hefley; a sister, Susan Hefley Weir (Donald); brothers-in-law, Paul Kingery and Vincent Grosso (Nancy Agranoff) as well as several nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

The family thanks all of the many doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals who attended to Jim in his final journey.

A Celebration of Jim’s Life will be held at 2:00 PM on Sunday, July 26, 2026 at St. Giles Chapel, Deerfield Retirement Community, 1617 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, NC 28803. Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Jim’s memory to Casting Carolinas (https://CastingCarolinas.com) or the Danny Boone Employee Scholarship Fund (https://deerfieldwnc.org/charitable-foundation/).

Groce Funeral Home at Lake Julian is assisting the family.