Published Thu, Oct 10, 2002

Ozark, Ala. -- U.S. Army ret. Lt. Col. James Presgraves, 85, husband of Sarah Louise Smith Presgraves, died Monday, Oct. 7, 2002, in Ozark, Ala. Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Helena's Episcopal Church cemetery.

Mr. Presgraves was born July 24, 1917, in Washington, a son of Margaret Cawood Presgraves and James Montgomery Presgraves. He attended American University, Washington. He was postal officer of the Army's 104th infantry division during World War II. He was on the staff and faculty of the Army Postal School, and then served in the Pentagon as chief of transportation for the Army and Air Force Postal Service. He served over 40 years in the postal service, where he was a postal inspector and a division director of the U.S. Post Office Department. In 1960, he formally suggested the system that became the ZIP code in 1962. He also served as director of Postal Affairs at Georgetown University.

He was a member of St. Helena's Episcopal Church, where he served as a eucharistic minister for seven years. He conducted a historical survey of the church cemetery and created a directory called Old Churchyard Cemetery of St. Helena's Episcopal Church. He was a past president of the Beaufort Historical Society.

Survivors include his wife, of Newton, Ala.; a daughter, Carol Ann Presgraves-Alexander of Greensboro; four sons, Albert M. Presgraves of Portland, Maine, Stephen J. Presgraves of Fenwick Island, Del., Donald C. Presgraves of Newton, Al., and Andrew Presgraves of Leesburg, Va.; and 12 grandchildren. Anderson Funeral Home is in charge.