James Lee Melton II

James Lee Melton II, 52, of Hiawassee, Ga. passed away suddenly on June 7, 2025.

Jim was born on July 18, 1972 to James Melton and Martha Kelley Melton in Marietta, Georgia. After graduating Towns County High School in 1990, Jim went on to Young Harris College and then transferred to the University of Georgia. He graduated with a degree in Education.

After graduating UGA, he started working with Towns County Schools as an Educator and Coach. At that time, he also began one of the most successful basketball careers that Georgia High School Basketball history has ever seen—having the most wins of any basketball coach in TCHS history. In the process, he built a legacy of influencing lives for the better.

He married Christie Stewart in 2010, and became the father of Kaila and Chase Reece. He, and his entire family, took Christie, Kaila and Chase in as their own and showed them the most beautiful picture of unconditional love.

Jim’s most treasured possessions were people. Whether he was spending time with his family, on a court or field, walking the halls of Towns County Schools, or at church, he worked hard to serve his people and make sure that they were both valued and challenged. He held people to a high standard, and he loved them well as he encouraged them to reach their full potential.

Sometimes, that looked like having his basketball players sprint through a parking lot with their hands above their heads so they’d play better defense. Sometimes, it was giving people goofy nicknames just so they felt seen. Sometimes, it was making his family laugh when they needed a moment of laughter or crying with them when there was something grieving them. Sometimes, it was cooking meals for his church family on Wednesday nights. Sometimes, it was picking on his little sister, Lisa, or bantering back and forth with his niece, Maci, and working alongside Lisa to care for the basketball programs. Sometimes, it was being the voice of YHC Basketball. And sometimes, it was bringing life and energy into the TCHS gym when a player hit a “threeeeeeee.”

But more often than not, it was him sacrificing his time and energy in acts of service to the people he cared about. His faith meant the world to him and anyone who knew him before and after he met Jesus, could share about how different Jesus made his life.

During his 30 years at TCHS, Jim held many roles, including: Teacher, Coach, Assistant Principal, Facilities Manager, and Athletic Director.

He enjoyed cheering on the Dawgs and the Braves. Cutting grass was his favorite hobby, and he was also great at bringing a good laugh into the room.

Jim was the best at being present, engaged, and committed, and his legacy will continue to influence lives for generations to come as the students he invested in grow into husbands, fathers, wives, and mothers. Towns County will forever be better because of Jim’s life.

In his last conversation with his daughter on Friday morning, he shared with her about the importance of believing in people. It wasn’t enough just to say nice things in encouragement. He said the most important thing a coach could do was make sure his players knew every single one of them had a place and a role to fill and to make sure they knew he believed in each one of them to succeed in it.

As a coach, husband, father, brother, uncle, or friend, his life accomplished just that.

Jim was preceded in death by his father, James Lee Melton I and his mother, Martha Kelley Melton. Jim is survived by his wife, Christie Melton, his kids, Kaila and Chase Reece, his sister, Lisa Melton-Baxter (Bear Baxter), his niece, Maci Walls, and many other loving family members.

Services will be held in the Towns County High School Gym on Wednesday, June 11th. Visitation will be from 11:00AM to 3:00PM with the funeral service to follow at 3:00PM. The graveside service will be private for the family.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Jim Melton Memorial Scholarship at South State Bank.