Hundreds gather to honor Chief Deputy Clifton Howle

With red and blue lights pulsing and sirens wailing in tribute, hundreds around Darlington County said goodbye on Wednesday, October 21, to one of its most beloved members, Deputy Chief Clifton Howle.

A huge convoy of law enforcement vehicles escorted Howle’s casket from Hartsville to the Darlington County Courthouse, where his body lay in state in the atrium. The somber cortege wound its way from Larry Byrd Highway, down Pearl Street, through the Public Square and up to the front of the Courthouse at 110 North Main Street. There, Howle was carried inside with quiet dignity as the public visitation began. Just outside the courthouse entrance, a group of veterans exhibited their profound respect, holding American and Thin Blue Line flags as crowd members slowly entered the building.

Throughout the evening, hundreds of people filed through the Courthouse: law enforcement officers from across the region, coworkers, fellow church members and citizens whose lives he had touched. The flag-draped casket was surrounded by an Honor Guard, whose sentries rotated their posts at regular intervals, keeping a constant, solemn watch.

Beside the casket stood Howle’s family, who greeted each mourner with sincere warmth and gratitude. Even in their own grief, they took time for every handshake, embrace and shared memory as hundreds passed by to offer condolences.

Howle, who passed away on Friday, was a good man with a kind heart who treated everyone with kindness and respect. His genuine nature and warm personality, and his gift for bringing a smile to those around him, made him truly special.

“Chief was more than a colleague and a leader; he was someone we cared about deeply,” one tribute read. His loss will be felt by all who had the privilege of knowing and working alongside him.

The community’s turnout on Wednesday evening reflected the measure of the man. In a line that stretched through the Courthouse doors and far down Main Street, people came not simply to honor a title or a badge, but to say thank you to a beloved friend.

Howle’s funeral was held at 11:00 a.m. today at First Presbyterian Church in Hartsville. The Revs. Jacob Heatherly and Robert Mitchell officiated. Burial followed at Tyner-Kirven Cemetery in Patrick.