With great sorrow, Jim “Nab” Inabinet passed away after a courageous fight with cancer, on June 5, 2024. He was born in Waggoner, SC on January 20, 1936, to the late Wyman and Jessie Inabinet. At the young age of seven, his parents relocated to Winston-Salem, NC. He participated in sports all during his early childhood, and as a graduate of Mineral Springs High School in 1954. He played football and basketball and was team captain for both sports in his senior year. He was also a member and president of the Key Club his senior year. In the 9th grade at Mineral Springs, he met someone that would change his life forever, his future wife, Betty Brannock. They began seeing each other, and continued after graduation, even when he went off to school at UNC Chapel Hill. They were married on June 9, 1957, and he graduated with his degree in Pharmacy in 1958. He was the first Pharmacy student selected and inducted into the “Old Well Society” at Chapel Hill. In February 1959, their daughter, Cheryl Lynne was born, and in December of 1963, their son, Brian Scott was born. Ab purchased Community Drug in Winston-Salem in the early 70’s and with all of his family helping on the weekends, it prospered. He spent time in the nursing home industry and finally as a pharmacist with Eckerd Drug. He officially retired in January of 2005, but could never be still. In the spring of that year, by a meeting on the golf course, he became one of the pharmacists at Mt. Pilot Drug. He stayed there until they closed up. He was as recently as this past January, still working, filling scripts at Family Pharmacy in Walnut Cove. He was one of the state’s longest serving active Pharmacist’s, receiving his license in 1959. Nab was honored by the NC Board of Pharmacy in 2023 for over 60 years of service. He had a deep love for his best friend and wife, Betty. At her persuasion, he started a Japanese inspired garden in their backyard in Pfafftown. When they downsized, he started another one in King. She was the designer, and he was the builder, adding his own touches along the way. They were a great team. After 61 years of marriage, Betty passed away in June of 2018. Golf was Nab’s second love. He was a member of Pilot Knob Park golf course for many years. There were numerous golf trips to the beaches, the mountains and his favorite, going to Pinehurst and staying at Talamore Resorts. He would be getting the next trip up before the trip he was on was over. Each trip over the decades had 12 to 44 guys. His love for UNC Athletics also was a passion, especially in football and basketball. He was there for the ’57 championship, and many of those basketball plyers lived in the same dorm and on the same floor as Nab. Besides all the championship games, he always loved it when they beat Duke in any sporting contest. Nothing could be finer than a win by Carolina. But he couldn’t stop talking about games 1 and 1A: Beating Duke at Cameron for K’s last game and beating them in the semifinals of the NCAA a few weeks later. In March of 2023, he lost his son, Scott. In July of that same year, he lost his daughter, Cheri Simpson. He is survived by his sister, Anne Lackman and his brother Rhett Inabinet (Robin). He is also survived by his son-in-law, Jim Simpson, who has been his caregiver for the last 8 months, and his granddaughter, Meghan Holihan (Brian) along with a brother-in-law, Don Brannock (Susan), niece, Lisa (Peter) and nephew, Richard (Caroline).
Funeral services will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 11, 2024, at Hayworth-Miller Chapel in Rural Hall. The family will receive friends from 6:00-8:00 p.m. on Monday evening at Hayworth-Miller Rural Hall Chapel. Burial will follow in Forsyth Memorial Park in Winston-Salem.
The family would like to thank the Forsyth Cancer Center, especially Dr. D Jacks, and her fine staff, for the excellent care Jim received, The IR Department at Forsyth, and to Mountain Valley Hospice, their team and Melissa Whitehead, for the care at the end of his journey.
Well done, Jim/ “Ab”/ “Nab”/ “Dr. Nab”/Poppi/ Dad. There is a threesome of Gary, Leonard, and Richard ready for a fourth, with tee times. Hugs from Scott and kisses from Cheri are there for you too. But best of all, Bet is telling you, “I love you more, “which you reply with, “I love you the mostest.”