An Orphan's Safe Haven

About the Book

An Orphan’s Safe Haven This memoir chronicles the early life of a southern boy during the depression years and the start of World War II. Teeter’s marvelous storytelling details his account of growing up without a home, father, mother or sister during the 1930s and 1940s, and surviving in the ten different homes and schools in sixteen years. At the Blue Ridge Industrial School, he finally finds a home and a “Safe Haven”--a place where teachers, students, and mountain folk reach out to him expressing their love and appreciation. He reciprocates and his life changes. He falls in love and later endures the tragic loss of his first love Virginia Tarheel. In the end after much perseverance, Teeter returns to Charlotte to live with his mother, sister, and her two boys.

About the Author

James Teeter lives in Richmond, Virginia, where he is retired. He attended the University of Virginia, class of 1955. In August 1963 he entered Bexley Hall Divinity School. Unfortunately, illness in the family caused him to withdraw. For the past forty-some years, Jim was employed in the health care field in Virginia. He held a number of key executive positions with the American Cancer Society, United Drug Abuse Council, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Virginia, and the Virginia Association of Homes for Adults. In 1991 Jim formed his own company, Life Care Residential Service, and with other stockholders, established Hanover Manor, an assisted-living facility. A second facility, Alpha House, was opened in January 2000. After serving six years on the Board of Trustees of the Blue Ridge School, he was honored in October 2002 as the “Alumnus of the Year.” Jim has three daughters and one grandson Chris, who just graduated from James Madison University. Currently one of his two granddaughters, Captain Lori Barnett Sweeney, M.D., is serving in Iraq. Her sister Sally just delivered a second great-grandson. Jacket design: Kennedy and Green Communications Jacket Photo: Lee Brauer