The trustee and philanthropist named Sankey Hall on Elon’s campus in honor of his father.
Former Elon University trustee James “Jim” Sankey of Charlotte, North Carolina, died suddenly on Sunday, August 4, 2024. He was 64 years old.
Sankey served on the Board of Trustees from 2010 to 2013 and was the father of three Elon alumni, Clay Sankey ’12, Wes Sankey ’13 and Brooke Sankey ’20. He made a large impact at the university through his board leadership and philanthropy.
Jim and his wife, Beth, generously donated a lead gift to name Richard W. Sankey Hall on Elon’s campus in honor of Jim’s late father. The Sankeys also made gifts to support construction of Alumni Field House, the Numen Lumen Pavilion and other Elon priorities.
Sankey was president and CEO of InVue Security Products of Charlotte and was a respected business leader there. In 2019 he received a “Most Admired CEO” award in the technology division from the Charlotte Business Journal. He created and sold several successful businesses and held more than 30 patents for his inventions.
In living out their commitment to giving back and making the world a better place, Jim and Beth Sankey funded construction of 20 orphanages and four schools in India, Uganda, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. They also provided support for nearly 3,000 children in those orphanages. The Sankeys and InVue Security Products have also actively supported many charitable causes and organizations in the Charlotte area.
A memorial service in honor of Jim will be held at 10 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, at New City Church, 2500 Carmel Road, Charlotte, N.C.