James Graham Harwood, 70, of 367 Fairway 11 Court, Blowing Rock, NC passed away Friday, March 11, 2011 at Duke University Hospital. A celebration of Graham’s life will be held at Rumple Memorial Presbyterian Church in Blowing Rock, NC on Tuesday, March 15th at 2:00 with the Reverend Lynn Stall officiating. A reception will be held in the church’s fellowship hall following the memorial service. On Wednesday, March 16th at Hartsell Funeral Home in Graham’s hometown of Albemarle, NC a visitation for family and friends will be held from 2:00 until 3:30. Afterward, the interment will be at Fairview Memorial Park with Rev. P.D. Midgett officiating. Graham was born in Albemarle, NC on May 1, 1940 as the son of Edward Greene Harwood and Margie Rogers Harwood Lowder. After attending school in Albemarle, Graham graduated from Georgia Tech in Atlanta, GA. While at Georgia Tech, Graham served as Wing Commander of the Air Force ROTC and maintained a football scholarship. After college, Graham served his country for six years as a Flight Instructor in the U.S. Air Force. After his military service, Graham returned to Albemarle and became very active in community affairs, serving on the Albemarle City Council, President of the Chamber of Commerce and holding various responsibilities at Central United Methodist Church. Graham enjoyed a successful career in the financial service industry. A career change in the early 1990’s led Graham to establish the executive recruiting firm of Harwood & Harwood, Inc. in Blowing Rock which became one the country’s premier recruiting firms for the financial services industry. While in Blowing Rock, Graham served as the Finance Chairman at Rumple Memorial Presbyterian Church. Graham’s foremost passion was his family. He also greatly enjoyed reading, fishing, playing the banjo and tinkering with projects around the house. Survivors include his wife, Betty Holt Harwood; son, David Edward Harwood and his wife, Gina of Blowing Rock and their two daughters, Haley-Banks and Wesley-Morgan; son Rodney Graham Harwood of Park City, Utah and son, Nathanael Graham, and daughter, Rell Jewell; daughter Julie Harwood Scull and husband, Rob, and their two sons, Dane Addison and Drake Maxton; brother, William “Bill†Harwood and wife, Anne, of Badin; mother, Margie Harwood Lowder of Albemarle; cousin Martha Saleeby of Charlotte. Memorials may be made for research to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Donor Services, P.O. Box 4072, Pittsfield, MA 01202 www.leukemia.org Hartsell Funeral Home of Albemarle is serving the Harwood family.