James Royall Dillon, Jr. James Royall Dillon, Jr., died on Feb. 23, 2022, surrounded by his family. He was 82. Jim, or “Jimmy” as he was known into early adulthood, was born August 17, 1939 in Lynchburg, Va., the oldest of five children. At an early age, he moved with his family to Columbus, Ga., where he grew up precocious, independent, and a mentor for his siblings. He had attended Columbus High School for two years when a benefactor aunt offered an opportunity for Jim to attend Virginia Episcopal School in Lynchburg. His first foray outside of Columbus, he thrived at VES, often saying it was the best thing that ever happened to him. He played on the baseball and basketball teams, graduating in 1957. After high school, Jim attended Georgia Tech where he majored in math and pledged the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, a group of friends he dearly loved. He enjoyed college immensely, and it is alleged that while highly skilled at math, his proficiency at poker and pool was tru...