MONROE - No doubt Jim Dearth would have been reminiscing with his former teammates this weekend during the 50-year celebration of a state basketball title that his last-second free throws helped put on ice.
That said, he wasn't exactly the glory days type.
"I remember how when he left home for college, when we had a basement full of trophies, scrapbooks and even taped radio broadcasts of his games, he left it all behind," said Chuck Dearth, Jim's older brother of three years. "It meant a lot, but that was all in the past. He was always looking to the future."
So much so, that as a high school frosh he already had his heart set on pursuing a career as a doctor.
Sports were more just something to do with his natural ability.
"What sport was Jim good at it? Whichever one he wanted to do," Dearth said.
Indeed Jim, who already had a state basketball title under his belt as a junior, went on to be all-state in football and hoops as a senior. That senior spring, as a shot putter and discus thrower, he helped the track team win a state title.
The family car business was established in 1948, and there would be pressure to join it. Thankfully for Jim, Chuck would step up.
"Yes, there was relief for him," said Dearth, who stayed in Monroe and today runs the family business. "At the same time, he was happy to see some sort of legacy continue."
Knowing Dearth Motors would someday be in good hands, Jim peacefully went on to Duke on a scholarship for football where he captained the team, then went on to get his medical degree at the University of Wisconsin. He next took on residency at the Mayo Clinic before becoming a pediatric hematologist in Alabama. Eventually, his dedication to children led to his being named CEO of the Children's Hospital of Alabama in Birmingham, where he established a child advocacy foundation called VOICES.
Such success allowed him to retire at age 60 to a dream house on the North Carolina coast. Less than two years later, in April of 2009, he died instantly on his sailboat from an undetected recessive gene that caused a heart valve to fail.
"Everyone was shocked," said Tom Mitchell, Jim's Monroe High School basketball teammate. "Of all us, Jim was the most physically fit and did all the right things."
It was a wake-up call for the team's four remaining starters.
"After Jim passed away, we decided to not wait (until this year's 50th anniversary) to have these get-togethers. We've had one every summer since," Mitchell said. "We realized we won't last forever."
Mitchell, who has co-authored a book about the great 1965 team, said a portion of the proceeds will benefit Jim's VOICES foundation.
Meanwhile, that championship season brings back great memories for Chuck Dearth.
"Yes, I remember a lot about it. Heck, it was only 50 years ago," he said with a laugh. "I was in college, so I got to see a bunch of the games. We were ranked No. 1 from the onset, and I know that didn't sit well with the people in Freeport, whose team was also highly touted. We beat them, and what I remember most is that a guy who had earlier bought a car from us refused to buy his next one from us because of the result."
Chuck Dearth was also at the title game with his parents, watching the culmination of the special relationship between a big brother and a little brother, as the family's only siblings, come to fruition.
"Sure we were competitive, but we never beat each other up. Mostly we worked with each other on our skills," Dearth said. "When we became more mature that was even more the case. Sports were our life from the age 5 and up and it was our bond."
And Dearth enjoyed seeing his little brother evolve.
"In a one-on-one game, I could beat him every time, but on a team in a five-on-five situation, he was by far the better player, the harder worker," he said. "So when the team won it all, I wasn't surprised. I was just very proud of him. That was a really exciting time."
That said, he wasn't exactly the glory days type.
"I remember how when he left home for college, when we had a basement full of trophies, scrapbooks and even taped radio broadcasts of his games, he left it all behind," said Chuck Dearth, Jim's older brother of three years. "It meant a lot, but that was all in the past. He was always looking to the future."
So much so, that as a high school frosh he already had his heart set on pursuing a career as a doctor.
Sports were more just something to do with his natural ability.
"What sport was Jim good at it? Whichever one he wanted to do," Dearth said.
Indeed Jim, who already had a state basketball title under his belt as a junior, went on to be all-state in football and hoops as a senior. That senior spring, as a shot putter and discus thrower, he helped the track team win a state title.
The family car business was established in 1948, and there would be pressure to join it. Thankfully for Jim, Chuck would step up.
"Yes, there was relief for him," said Dearth, who stayed in Monroe and today runs the family business. "At the same time, he was happy to see some sort of legacy continue."
Knowing Dearth Motors would someday be in good hands, Jim peacefully went on to Duke on a scholarship for football where he captained the team, then went on to get his medical degree at the University of Wisconsin. He next took on residency at the Mayo Clinic before becoming a pediatric hematologist in Alabama. Eventually, his dedication to children led to his being named CEO of the Children's Hospital of Alabama in Birmingham, where he established a child advocacy foundation called VOICES.
Such success allowed him to retire at age 60 to a dream house on the North Carolina coast. Less than two years later, in April of 2009, he died instantly on his sailboat from an undetected recessive gene that caused a heart valve to fail.
"Everyone was shocked," said Tom Mitchell, Jim's Monroe High School basketball teammate. "Of all us, Jim was the most physically fit and did all the right things."
It was a wake-up call for the team's four remaining starters.
"After Jim passed away, we decided to not wait (until this year's 50th anniversary) to have these get-togethers. We've had one every summer since," Mitchell said. "We realized we won't last forever."
Mitchell, who has co-authored a book about the great 1965 team, said a portion of the proceeds will benefit Jim's VOICES foundation.
Meanwhile, that championship season brings back great memories for Chuck Dearth.
"Yes, I remember a lot about it. Heck, it was only 50 years ago," he said with a laugh. "I was in college, so I got to see a bunch of the games. We were ranked No. 1 from the onset, and I know that didn't sit well with the people in Freeport, whose team was also highly touted. We beat them, and what I remember most is that a guy who had earlier bought a car from us refused to buy his next one from us because of the result."
Chuck Dearth was also at the title game with his parents, watching the culmination of the special relationship between a big brother and a little brother, as the family's only siblings, come to fruition.
"Sure we were competitive, but we never beat each other up. Mostly we worked with each other on our skills," Dearth said. "When we became more mature that was even more the case. Sports were our life from the age 5 and up and it was our bond."
And Dearth enjoyed seeing his little brother evolve.
"In a one-on-one game, I could beat him every time, but on a team in a five-on-five situation, he was by far the better player, the harder worker," he said. "So when the team won it all, I wasn't surprised. I was just very proud of him. That was a really exciting time."
