James Gault Obituary

Dr. James "Jim" Gault
AIKEN - Dr. James Harvey Gault, 89, passed away on Saturday, August 30, 2025, at his home in Aiken, South Carolina.
Born in White Plains, NY, Jim was the son of the late Emslie Nicholson Gault and Margaret Harvey Gault. While his father's job with the Coca Cola Company relocated the family throughout Jim's formative years, he spoke most fondly of his middle school years in Bearden, TN, and of his bluegrass band at Pelham Manor High School in Pelham, NY. Amherst College, though, proved to be the greatest influence on Jim's lifelong intellectual curiosity and engagement, and his pursuit there of a major in biochemistry and minor in English informed his entire life. He went on to medical school at Cornell University, and then for Internal Medicine training at New York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center in New York City. After completing his cardiology training at the National Heart Institute, National Institutes of Health, he joined the faculty of the University of California San Diego as Director of the Cardiovascular Diagnosis Laboratories. When Penn State University began its College of Medicine at Hershey Medical Center in 1967, Jim was recruited as Professor of Medicine and Radiology and Chief of the Cardiology Division. In 1974, he left academic medicine to establish the cardiac program at The Lancaster General Hospital in Lancaster, PA. There, he was involved in the development of angioplasty and stent treatment technologies for cardiovascular disease. Among other distinctions, Jim was a Governor of the American College of Cardiology and President of the College's Pennsylvania Chapter, and was selected by his peers to be included in the "Best Doctors in America."
After retirement in 2000, he and his wife, Nancy Vogle Gault, moved to the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Besides several years assisting cardiology practices in Savannah, Jim found great reward and new friendships through facilitating a program that introduced Jasper County high school students to the game of golf.
Always enjoying the humor in life, Jim was proud to be a member of Spring Island's Star Mountain Ski Patrol and an honorary member of The Slumbering Groundhog Lodge of Quarryville.
He and Nancy, who survives him, celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary on July 3rd. He is also survived by his daughters, Allison Wilensky (Marshall and children, Jeramie, Genevieve, and James) of Hummelstown, PA, and Sara Loree (Austin and daughters, Roslyn and Althea) of Boise, ID; his sons, John Gault (and sons, James and Tyler) of Pequea, PA, and Dominic Gault (Paige and children, Conor and Ellie) of Simpsonville, SC; and seven great grandchildren.
In addition to his parents, Jim was preceded in death by his sister, Kitty Gravins, and his brother, E. Nicholson Gault, Jr.
A funeral service will be held at 2:00 PM, Friday, September 5, 2025, at St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church, Aiken, with the Reverend Dr. Marshall Jolly officiating. The service will be live-streamed on the church's website at https://stthaddeus.org/livestream/. A reception will follow in the Stevenson-McClelland Building. Interment will take place at 2:00 PM, Saturday, September 6, 2025, in the Ramsey Creek Preserve, Westminster, SC.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to The Spring Island Trust, 40 Mobley Oaks Lane, Okatie, SC 29909 (please add LCI Fund on the memo line), or to The Episcopal Church in Okatie, 231 Hazzard Creek Village, Ste 1, Ridgeland, SC 29936.
SHELLHOUSE FUNERAL HOME, INC.,
924 HAYNE AVE., AIKEN, SC