Obituaries – January 8, 2020

DARLINGTON — Julian Spy “Bubba” Lawhon, 83, passed away Dec. 26, 2019. Funeral services were Sunday, Dec. 29, at Black Creek Baptist Church with burial at Black Creek Cemetery, directed by Belk Funeral Home.

The family received friends Sunday at the church.

Born May 14, 1936, Julian was the son of the late Otis Marion Lawhon and Julia Mae Flowers Lawhon. Bubba worked with Sonoco Paper Products for 36 years and then worked at the Darlington County Recycle Center.

He was a member of Black Creek Baptist Church and will be remembered as a loving husband, father and grandfather.

He leaves behind his beloved wife of 62 years, Eleanor Trull Lawhon, also three children: Teresa (Les) Gandy, Cindy (Randy) Weaver, Otis (Nellie) Lawhon; five grandchildren: Erin (Jeremy) Stache, Jordy (Lacie) Gandy, Bruce Lynch, Thomas (Amanda) Lawhon, Bryant (Jenny Slade) Lawhon; four great-grandchildren, two sisters: Marian Braswell of Columbia and Edna Helms of Florence.

Memorials may be made to Black Creek Baptist Church, 137 Mont Clare Road, Darlington, SC 29540.

A guestbook is available online at belkfuneralhome.com.

DARLINGTON – Paul Joseph Thomas Halchak, 55, passed away Saturday, Nov. 28, 2019. A memorial service was held Saturday, Jan. 4, in the chapel at Belk Funeral Home.

Born July 25, 1964, in Honolulu, Hawaii, Paul was the son of Paul Thomas Halchak and the late Leona Nadene Brown Mahon. He served in the South Carolina Army National Guard, and worked various construction, appliance and automotive maintenance positions.

In addition to his father, Paul Thomas Halchak, he is survived by his siblings, Georgann Gainey of Moncks Corner, Michael Halchak of Mechanicsville, Jude Halchak of Georgia, and several nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for homeless veterans at va.gov/homeless.

A guestbook is available online at belkfuneralhome.com.

LAMAR – Sherry Huggins Watford, 68, died Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. Funeral service were Monday, Jan. 6, at Lamar United Methodist Church with burial at Lamar Memorial Cemetery. The family received friends Sunday at Belk Funeral Home in Lamar, and other times at the home, 521 E. Jackson St., Lamar.

Born Jan. 21, 1951, in Lancaster County, she was the daughter of the late J.B. and Louise Huggins. She worked at DSV Solutions in Lugoff and cleaned houses for many people in the Lamar area. Sherry was a lifelong member of Lamar United Methodist Church.

She is survived by her children, Danielle (Rodney) Windham, Crystal Gibbs and Dale Conyers; grandchildren, Braxton (Heather), Katie (Brennan), Brittany (Harry), Allee (Grayson), Hannah, Chance, L.J., Laylah, Sarah, Amia, Greighson, Amani; great-grandchildren, Blayden, Nevaeh, Oaklynn, Finleigh; her loving sister, Marilyn (Harry) Lawhon; beloved niece, Kerrie (Troy) Early; beloved nephew, David (Rebekah) Summers; her beloved lifelong best friends, Linda (Shot) Windham and Kathy Windham, along with many other special friends and family.

Memorials may be made to Lamar United Methodist Church, PO Box 555, Lamar, SC 29069; or to the American Cancer Society at cancer.org.

A guestbook is available online at belkfuneralhome.com.

LAMAR – Margaret Linda Watson McCoy, 75, died Friday, Jan. 3, 2020. A graveside service was held Sunday, Jan. 5, at Lamar Memorial Cemetery. The family received friends Sunday at Belk Funeral Home in Lamar.

Born in Lee County on Nov. 29, 1944, Linda was the daughter of the late Elvie Watson and Bertha Stokes Watson. She will be remembered for being a loving and caring wife, mother and grandmother. Linda was a member of First Baptist Church in Lamar.

Surviving are her daughter, Gina (Clint) Woodham of Bishopville; grandchildren, Colby Hancock, Landon Hancock; great-grandchild, Stanton Hancock; sister, Annette (Carroll) Nichols, of Bishopville; brother, Laverne Watson of Winnsboro; son-in-law, Charles Hancock.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Julian McCoy; daughter, Teresa Hancock; and sister, Elvieleen Medlin.
Memorials may be made to Lamar First Baptist Church, PO Box 431 Lamar, S.C. 29069.

A guestbook is available online at belkfuneralhome.com.

FLORENCE — Sidney Raymond Nettles, 62, passed away Jan. 3, 2020, from complications from frontotemporal dementia.

Sidney was born in Darlington Jan. 22, 1957, to John L. Nettles and Ann Rogers Nettles. He grew up a free-range child in Darlington and Florence and especially on Lake Robinson.

Sidney learned to sail almost as soon as he learned to ride a bike and he could water ski and windsurf much better than his older and better-looking brothers. His swimming skills were used as a lifeguard at Central United Methodists’ Camp Sexton where the campers called him Mr. Sidney.

He graduated from McClenaghan High School in 1975. Along the way he found his calling, without knowing it, while maintaining lawnmowers, minibikes, and outboard motors (sometimes with his brother reading him the manuals).

He attended the University of South Carolina where he was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.

He moved up from those lawnmowers and minibikes to piston and turbine combustion electrical generators. He kept your lights on and your phone charged with dependable power.

When he started at USC, students were still programming on punchcards. Early in his career, he was the new guy with Westinghouse who showed the old guys how to use an Osborne portable computer to balance turbine rotors, something he tried and failed to explain to his brothers.

He met and fell in love with Kyra Hoffmeyer, whom he married in 1982. They had twin daughters, Sydney Allison and Ammie Connor in 1999.

After Kyra’s untimely death in 2003, he raised the girls on his own, watching their footprints in the beach sand grow with them. He married his second wife, Karen, in 2007. She joined him in helping raise the girls.

Sidney spent the majority of his career with Carolina Power and Light, and retired from Duke Energy in 2017.

He was predeceased by his parents and his wife, Kyra Hoffmeyer Nettles. He is survived by his daughters, Sydney A. Nettles and Ammie Connor Nettles, both of Boone, N.C., and his brothers, Louis (Tami) Nettles of Florence, Leonard (Hope) Nettles and niece Sarah of Pawleys Island.

There will be a memorial service followed by a visitation at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8, at Central Methodist Church, 167 S. Irby St. Florence. Services are being arranged by Belk Funeral Home in Darlington.

A guestbook is available online at belkfuneralhome.com.

DARLINGTON — Daniel Beaufort Causey III, Esq., of Darlington and formerly of Conway, died Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020.
Mr. Causey graduated from college at The Citadel in 1964 – a place he credited for instilling his lifelong sense of duty, diligence and dedication. While at The Citadel, Mr. Causey was a member of the sailing team, even sailing with the yacht of the Queen of England during a regatta in the Bahamas.

Following his time at The Citadel, Mr. Causey served as a lieutenant with the Army, 31st Infantry Regiment. Mr. Causey was stationed in South Korea, and led patrol missions along the border of the Demilitarized Zone following the Korean War. Mr. Causey told stories of sharing meals with people his patrol encountered on both sides of the border.

While in the Army, Mr. Causey was also a member of a paratrooper regiment, which he joined to help him overcome his fear of heights. Although Mr. Causey’s jumps were successful, his attempt to get over his fear was not.

After the Army, Mr. Causey went to law school at the University of South Carolina, graduating in 1971. He then moved to Darlington to work under state Sen. James Pierce “Spot” Mozingo III before eventually opening up his own practice.

Mr. Causey took pride in working to assist his clients in seeking justice regardless of their racial or socioeconomic background. Mr. Causey was often rewarded for his legal services with gifts ranging from sweet potatoes to Christmas trees.

Mr. Causey was appointed Municipal Court Judge for the city of Darlington in 1987 – a position he held for 30 years before retiring in 2017.

Mr. Causey enjoyed the opportunity this position afforded to positively impact people’s lives. His style from the bench was to deliver tough love so those who went before him would learn a lesson and not have to appear before him again.

Despite his stern demeanor, he was a fundamentally gentle and kind man. He believed in the promise of the human spirit to flourish if given the right opportunity, and worked to find creative solutions in court to allow that opportunity to happen.

Mr. Causey’s commitment to individual growth extended outside his professional life. Mr. Causey served on the Board of Directors for the Billie Hardee Home for Boys, a place for boys who had been abused, abandoned or had become delinquent to find stability and get back on the right path.

Mr. Causey led the St. Matthew’s Church Youth Group, and also served as a Vestry Member and Senior Warden of the church.

Perhaps the greatest example of Mr. Causey’s commitment to the development of others was shown in his love toward his family. Mr. Causey was a devoted husband and father for whom no sacrifice was too great to ensure his family had what they needed to reach success and continually find joy in the wonder of life.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020, at 2 p.m. at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Darlington. The family will receive friends following the service at the church.

Donations in honor of Mr. Causey may be made to the St. Matthew’s Church Choral Fellowship by mail to P.O. Box 804, Darlington, SC 29540; or to the American Lung Association online at action.lung.org/goto/DanCausey.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Kistler Hardee Funeral Home of Darlington.