In memoriam

1949

James Earl Brannon, March 27, 2021, Spartanburg, S.C. Brannon was a retired office manager for Draper Corp. He was a sergeant in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, completing gunnery training on B-24s. He was a longtime member of Bethel United Methodist Church, where he was an usher.

Edward Singleton Ervin III, March 30, 2021, Sumter, S.C. A licensed adjuster, appraiser and Realtor, he was the retired owner and operator of Ervin Adjustment Co. Ervin served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He was a past member of the State College board of trustees and a former board chairman at Francis Marion University, where a dining hall was named in his honor.

1950

Harry Morgan Baxter Jr., Feb. 16, 2021, Stone Mountain, Ga. Baxter enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1942 and served in the Pacific Theater as a ball turret gunner. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with five Gold Stars. He attended Wofford before transferring to the University of South Carolina, where he earned his bachelor’s degree. Baxter retired from Exxon after 37 years.

1951

The Rev. Robert Auburn Hall Jr., March 1, 2021, Greenville, S.C. Hall was a longtime member of the S.C. Conference of the United Methodist Church. His pastoral appointments included Fort Mill, James Island, Cowpens, Pageland and Greer. After retiring from full-time ministry, he served part-time for several years as parish minister at Buncombe Street UMC in Greenville. Hall was a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, and he taught at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Willis Josey Woodham, March 2, 2021, Spartanburg, S.C. Woodham was co-captain of the track team in 1951 and was the team MVP his junior and senior years. He was a fourth-generation farmer who grew cotton, oats and soybeans. He loved a good story as much as he loved home-grown vegetables. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War as a second lieutenant in the 25th Infantry Division. Woodham was a lifelong member of Bethlehem United Methodist Church.

1952

Paul Stribling Ellison, April 2, 2021, Shelby, N.C. Ellison spent his career in the health care industry, including service as president of Cleveland Memorial Hospital in Shelby for 17 years. He was the first recipient of the American College of Healthcare Executives’ Lifetime Achievement Award. He also received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, North Carolina’s highest civilian honor. Ellison served as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army’s First Cavalry Division for two years and as a captain in the Army Reserve Medical Service Corps for eight.

1953

Nollie Slone “Buddy” Platt, Feb. 19, 2021, North Myrtle Beach, S.C. Platt was a lieutenant in the U.S. Army and was a combat veteran of the Korean War. He retired after 39 years as a marketing representative with Exxon. Platt had a natural talent for woodworking, and the Barbie house he made for his granddaughter was included in an article celebrating Barbie’s birthday. He won two awards for painting fire hydrants in North Myrtle Beach.

1956

Howard Eldred Toole, March 19, 2021, Greer, S.C. Toole was a member of the Wofford football team. He rose to the rank of major in the U.S. Army, serving in Germany, Korea and Vietnam. He received a Bronze Star for meritorious service. He was a member of Morningside Baptist Church in Spartanburg, where he served as a deacon and sang in the Sanctuary Choir, Senior Choir and Golden Tones.

1958

Walton Bennett Stamper, April 19, 2021, Southborough, Mass. During 20 years of active duty in the U.S. Army, Stamper had assignments in Germany, the Dominican Republic, Vietnam and Korea. As a master parachutist in the 82nd Airborne Division, he received the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star. He retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel. Stamper later worked as the chief procurement officer for the town of Framingham, Mass. He traveled the world with his wife and served as a member of the Military Order of the World Wars, Association of the United States Army and Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts.

1959

The Rev. Dr. Richard D. Dillingham, March 5, 2021, Enoree, S.C. Dillingham served as pastor of Church of God churches in Maryland and across South Carolina. He also worked as a counselor in the Union County School System.

William Harrison Patterson, March 17, 2021, Blacksburg, Va. Patterson taught biology in several private schools, including Spartanburg Day School. He also taught in Caracas, Venezuela, for three years. His passion was for singing tenor in choirs, and he directed the choir at Colonial Presbyterian Church in Roanoke, Va., for almost 25 years. For most of the past 20 years, he lived a quiet life in the woods of Floyd, Va.

1960

Dr. Julian Cleon Josey Jr., May 10, 2021, Spartanburg, S.C. Josey worked in the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System for nearly 50 years, serving as chair of the Radiation Oncology Department, medical chief of staff, a founding board member of the Spartanburg Regional Foundation and a member of the board of trustees. In 1980, Josey led a group that secured a three-year grant to start Spartanburg County Hospice. He and Dr. James D. Bearden were instrumental in the creation of the Gibbs Cancer Center and Research Institute, the Bearden-Josey Center for Breast Health and the Gibbs Cancer Center at Pelham. Josey was a captain in the U.S. Army and served in the Vietnam War, where he was awarded a Bronze Star with valor. He was a member of the Episcopal Church of the Advent and served on the board of the Salvation Army. He also was a commissioner for SCETV. In his free time he enjoyed fly fishing, reading, gardening and farming.

Robert Alexander Warr, Feb. 4, 2021, Lamar, S.C. Warr was a winner of the Darlington County Developer of the Year award for his role in developing an industrial park. A retired farmer, Warr had been a partner in the Golden Leaf Warehouse of Lamar and Lake City, S.C.

1961

David A. Gillespie Sr., Feb. 16, 2021, Woodruff, S.C. Gillespie was a member of St. James United Methodist Church and taught Sunday school at numerous churches throughout his lifetime. He was a former chairman of the Spartanburg School District six board of trustees and a former director of the Spartanburg Girls Home. Gillespie retired from the textile industry after leading the exclusive selling branch of Abington Machinery.

1963

Don Wayne “Jet” Johnson, Feb. 14, 2021, Tuscumbia, Ala. After 15 years in the insurance business, Johnson moved into a career in manufacturing. His final assignment was the start-up and management of a North American Lighting plant in Muscle Shoals, Ala. He enjoyed cooking, and family favorites included steaks on the grill, spaghetti and fresh boiled peanuts.

1966

John Patrick Henry Sr., April 22, 2021, Conway, S.C. Henry served four years in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War. After graduating from the University of South Carolina School of Law, he joined the John Thompson Law Firm, which later became the Thompson and Henry Law Firm. He served many years as the Horry County attorney and was president of the Horry County Bar Association. He was a trustee of Spartanburg Methodist College. Henry was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church in Conway, where he served in a variety of roles, from trustee to Sunday school teacher.

Charles Paul “Butch” Wieland, Feb. 20, 2021, Great Falls, S.C. Wieland served in the U.S. Army for six years. He worked as a teacher, assistant principal and principal at Great Falls High School for 41 years. He was known for driving to Spartanburg and loading his truck with Krispy Kreme doughnuts to support Great Falls High fundraisers. After retiring he became a state constable, working with the Fort Lawn Police Department and the Chester County School Resource Officers for 18 years. He was a member of Fort Lawn Presbyterian Church, where he served as an elder and clerk of session.

1967

Samuel Leon “Sandy” Beckham Jr., March 24, 2021, Darlington, S.C. Beckham taught at schools around the state. After retiring, he returned to Darlington, where he bought and renovated an old house in the historic district. He enjoyed playing golf and telling stories. Beckham was active in ROTC while at Wofford and served two years in the U.S. Army, reaching the rank of first lieutenant.

Ian Campbell McIntyre, March 13, 2021, Selma, N.C. McIntyre was the former senior partner in the Charlotte, N.C., business consulting firm of McIntyre, McIntyre and Roberts. A native of Toronto, he achieved the rank of Queen’s Scout, Canada’s highest scouting award. He established the Hawn Society, a national charity to promote farmland preservation. He was a founder and board member of Charlotte’s Scottish Rite Library and a founding member of the Loch Norman Highland Games.

1968

Robert Matthews Hopkins Jr., March 18, 2021, Charlotte, N.C. After a brief stint as teacher in Summerville, N.C., Hopkins moved to Charlotte, where he began a career in real estate development and served as president of Hopkins and Co. He enjoyed watching Jeopardy!, playing with his dogs and finding a good parking spot. He also made it a point never to miss a school performance or sporting event in which his three children participated.

1973

Paul Martin Hyman, Feb. 12, 2021, Aiken, S.C. Hyman was a member of the Wofford men’s golf team that captured the NAIA national championship in 1973. He was named to the All-America team. Hyman served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War before coming to Wofford. He retired as a financial analyst for Westinghouse Savannah River Co. on his birthday in 2010 to spend more time with his family, play more golf, catch more fish, read more books and watch more movies.

1974

Evans Taylor “Van” Barnette, Feb. 16, 2021, Greenwood, S.C. After graduating from the University of South Carolina School of Law, Barnette spent most of his legal career as a partner at McCutchen, Blanton, Johnson and Barnette in Columbia, S.C. He closed his law practice in 2014 to work alongside his father at their family business, Carolina Pride Foods in Greenwood. He was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed spending time hunting, boating or just walking. He especially enjoyed bird hunting, a passion that led to trips to places such as Louisiana, Canada and Argentina.

1978

Jack Douglas Owens, April 21, 2021, Spartanburg, S.C. Owens lettered in baseball during his time at Wofford. He was president of Skatell’s Jewelers and opened the Spartanburg store in 1996. He was a hands-on dad to his three children, making it a point to attend every game, recital and event.

1982

Malcolm McDonald Campbell, April 29, 2021, City Island, N.Y. Campbell had a 30-year career as a publishing executive for a variety of music publications, including SPIN and Rolling Stone. He joined SPIN in 1991 as a sales manager and worked his way up to publisher in nine years. He jumped to competitor Blender magazine in 2001, serving as publisher there for four years before heading back to SPIN for another five-year run as publisher. After a stint as publisher of The Fader, in 2019, Campbell became executive director of East Coast corporate sales at PMC/Penske Media, the corporate parent of Rolling Stone and Variety, among others.

FRIENDS

Maryann Cochran Abbott, April 28, 2021, Greenville, S.C. Abbott was a lifelong member of First Presbyterian Church in Greenville, where she served as a trustee, deacon and president of the Women of the Church. She was active in the community, holding leadership positions in the YWCA, the Greenville County Library, United Way and the Community Foundation of Greenville. She was the widow of Forrest Abbott ’43.

Charles McGinty, March 27, 2021, Fort Mill, S.C. McGinty became Wofford’s first men’s soccer coach in 1975. He coached the Terriers for eight seasons, compiling a 62-55-5 record. A native of Glasgow, Scotland, he was a two-time soccer All-American at Erskine College and was elected to the college’s Hall of Fame. He was director of the Boys Home of York County (S.C.) for many years.