Category: 1970s

Lloyd Kennedy Boggs, age 75, died on October 4, 2026 after a tough battle with cancer. Kenny was born on March 13, 1951 in Spartanburg, SC to the late Marcus Livingstone Boggs and Sarah Alice McFarland Boggs. Raised in Spartanburg, Kenny graduated from Spartanburg High School, Davidson College, and the University of South Carolina School of Law.

Following graduation from law school, Kenny began his 34 year legal career as an Assistant Attorney General in the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office. He then moved to the South Carolina Insurance Department, serving first as General Counsel to the department and later as Deputy Chief Insurance Commissioner. However, Kenny spent most of his career with Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company, from which he retired as Senior Vice President – Legal & Compliance after 23 years of service with the company.

He was a 40 year member of Eastminster Presbyterian Church in Columbia, where he served as both a deacon and an elder.

Kenny enjoyed reading, outdoor activities such as hiking and kayaking, and spending time with family and friends. He particularly enjoyed attending sports and other activities of his granddaughters, to whom he was affectionately known as “Pop.” Kenny was an avid traveler, and along with his wife, Maureen, traveled extensively both domestically and internationally. Kenny and Maureen loved all of their trips, and especially loved traveling with their children and grandchildren.

Kenny was passionate about the U. S. national park system. In addition to visiting numerous national parks, monuments, historic sites, and recreation areas throughout the country, he was for many years a dedicated volunteer at Congaree National Park near Columbia.

Kenny is survived by his loving wife of 52 years, Maureen Margaret McGraw Boggs; son Richard Kennedy Boggs of Columbia; son Thomas Livingstone Boggs (Melissa Suppinger Boggs) of Columbia; granddaughters Laura Carlson Boggs and Claire Kennedy Boggs of Columbia; sister Alice Boggs Lentz of Montreat, NC; sister-in-law Marsha McGraw Olive and brother-in-law David Alan Olive of Washington, DC; sister-in-law Janice Carter Darby Boggs of Greer, SC; and beloved nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers Marcus Livingstone Boggs, Jr. and Thomas Alfred McFarland Boggs; and brother-in-law Thomas Neil Lentz.

A memorial service will be held on Monday, October 26 at 12:00 p.m. at Eastminster Presbyterian Church, 3200 Trenholm Road in Columbia. The family will greet visitors at the church following the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Richland Library Friends and Foundation, 1431 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC 29201; the National Parks Conservation Association, 777 6th Street NW, Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20001; or a charity of one’s choice.

Stephen “Steve” Eugene Shepard, 75, a longtime resident of Augusta, Georgia, died September 15, 2026.

Steve was born in Atlanta on January 24, 1951, to Samuel Stephens Shepard, Junior and Doris Everitt Shepard. He graduated from Druid Hills High School in 1969 and Davidson College in 1973, then earned his law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1976. He moved to Augusta that year and began a legal career spanning nearly five decades. As a 50-year member of the Georgia Bar Association, he maintained a solo practice and served for many years as a named partner in multiple longstanding Augusta law firms.

His legal career also led to decades of public service as an elected city councilman and county commissioner, and it included serving as county attorney and a magistrate judge for Augusta-Richmond County. Whether representing clients, advising the city, or sitting on the bench, Steve believed deeply in the law and remained devoted to Augusta and its people.

He joined the Augusta Lions Club in 1979, later served as its president for several terms, and remained active for many years.

Steve lived with Parkinson’s disease for 25 years, facing its challenges with courage and perseverance. As one friend remembered, “He was my hero and faced tough challenges with grace.” Known for his generosity and ability to turn acquaintances into friends, Steve was always willing to help others.

Steve and Kathie Mauldin Shepard married in 1973 and shared more than five decades together. He loved spending time with Kathie, his three daughters, and his grandchildren.

He enjoyed golf, Georgia football, running, hiking, and traveling. He also loved creating traditions, including making s’mores for the neighborhood each Halloween and running the train around the Christmas tree. He enjoyed train trips across the US with both family and friends, golfing weekly, and traveling to Georgia football games both near and far. He was a faithful and enthusiastic member of the Pairs and Spares Sunday school class at Trinity on the Hill.

Steve is survived by his wife, Kathie; his daughters, Brooke Baker and her husband, Joel, Whitney Shepard, and Mallory Dutton and her husband, Chris; and his grandchildren, Grant, Jackson, and Ellie Baker and Daphne, Cameron, and Sally Stephens Dutton. He was preceded in death by his parents.

The family will receive friends Sunday, September 27, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors, 214 Davis Road, Augusta.

A celebration of Steve’s life will be held Monday, September 28, at 2:00 p.m. at Trinity on the Hill, 1330 Monte Sano Avenue, Augusta. Honorary Pallbearers will be members of the Pairs and Spares Sunday School Class, the Lions Club, and the Law Dawgs.

In honor of Steve and the schools he loved—Druid Hills High School, Davidson College, and the University of Georgia—guests are invited to wear red and black.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Steve’s memory to the The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, P.O. Box 5014 Hagerstown, MD 21741.

Following a long and courageous battle with cancer, Julius Jennings “Jay” Wade III died peacefully, surrounded by family September 11, 2026. Jay was born January 29, 1957 in Charlotte to the late Sara Caldwell Hunter Wade and the late Julius Jennings “Jake” Wade, Jr.

Growing up in “old” Charlotte, most of Jay’s early years were consumed by his athletic desires. Like most Wades, he tried every sport with a ball and found his high school talents at Myers Park High lay in football, where he led the team as a stand-out middle linebacker, co-captain, most valuable defensive player, and all-county selectee. His love of sports called him to coach youth soccer, baseball, and basketball.

Jay graduated Davidson College in 1979, but his college buddies joked he never spent much time at Davidson while in school (especially weekends) because he was off dating Cary at East Carolina University. After they married, Jay and Cary settled down in Davidson, where Jay became a long-time fixture in the Davidson community and a dedicated alumni and supporter of Davidson College. Jay and Cary also owned and ran the local Davidson Soda Shop for many years.Jay began his career in Charlotte in 1979 with one of Charlotte’s leading property and casualty insurance agencies. In 1992, Jay founded JJ Wade & Associates Insurance Agency in downtown Davidson which he built into a thriving business with offices in Davidson, Wilmington, New Bern, and Raleigh. Jay sold his company to HUB International in 2024.Jay made friends easily and kept in touch with old friends like clockwork.

He was a man of few words, but more often than not, they were kind words. Jay often performed kindnesses for others without taking credit, and while he could sometimes be stubborn, that trait served him well as he stubbornly built a successful business in a competitive environment, stubbornly supported Davidson athletics no matter the score, and stubbornly fought cancer for five years without complaint. If you asked Jay how he was holding up during his treatments, he would say he was fine and ask about you or your family, not wanting to draw attention to himself. Jay felt most at home with Cary, wherever they were, but if home were an island, nothing could compete with Wrightsville Beach. He never missed a chance to be near that clear blue-green water. Jay will be remembered by those who knew him best by his smile, his laugh, and his kind nature.

Jay is survived by the love of his life, his wife, Cary Page Wade; his son, Julius Jennings “Jake” Wade, IV; his precious grandchildren Henry and Lennon; his sister, Amelia Ann Wade; his daughter, Abbey Wade; and his many cousins and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Jimmy.

A memorial service will be held at 1:00pm on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at Storyhill Church-490 S Main St, Davidson, NC 28036.

The family is grateful for the kind and loving care of The Levine & Dickson Hospice House-Huntersville and the medical professionals at Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute in Concord, and in particular, Jay’s dedicated oncologist, Dr. Raghava Induru.

John Lewis Douglas, 75, finished a deliriously happy life on September 3, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. He was born in 1950 to the late Charles Lewis Douglas, Jr. and Bettye Lee Phelps Douglas. John grew up in New Orleans, La., and Jackson, Miss., before moving to Atlanta in 1963. A gifted student and athlete, John took every opportunity to play baseball and golf with his friends and with his dad. After graduating from Lakeside High School John attended Davidson College, and ran into a force of nature by the name of Rebecca Ann Peterson.

John was baptised into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at age 20. After graduating from Davidson in 1972, he served a two-year mission for the church in Ecuador. John and Becky married in Salt Lake City in 1974, and were devoted to each other for the next 52 years, as seven children and three more adopted children joined them. He was always dazzled by her, always happier around her, and said, like the poem, that she was the Sunday in every week.

He was widely regarded as one of the world’s leading financial services lawyers. He began with a J.D. from the University of Georgia and at the Atlanta-based law firm Alston & Bird. Ronald Reagan appointed him General Counsel of the FDIC in 1987, where he helped steer the FDIC through the savings and loan crisis and shape the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989. Later, through his work with the Financial Services Volunteer Corps, he led efforts to reform banking across the developing world with the goal of creating more open, trust-based economies. John was senior partner at the law firms of Alston & Bird, Paul Hastings, and Davis, Polk & Wardwell, and finished his career as Chief Legal, Risk and Compliance Officer at TIAA, a financial services firm in New York.

He took a break from his career to serve his church for three years as a mission president in the Dominican Republic Santiago Mission. He was awed by the faith and goodness of the hundreds of missionaries in his care. He was devoted to strengthening them, their families and communities, and the church. He loved using Spanish to express tender feelings or speak beautiful truths.

Both at home and abroad, John cared deeply for the less fortunate. His commitment to the Dominican Republic continued after his mission, when he and Becky created the Dominican American Education Fund, an after-school training program in English and computer skills. They also generously funded and worked tirelessly for Rising Star Outreach, an organization Becky created to provide education, medical care, and community development to leprosy-affected people in India. John loved teaching young people at the University of Georgia Law School and continued to hold his classes during his battles with leukemia and lymphoma, sometimes via Zoom while receiving chemotherapy.

More than anything, John was happy everywhere. His biking and hiking trips with family and friends were his favorite way to travel the world. He was always up for another adventure that would let him marvel at the beauty of God’s creation. Everywhere he went, he was followed by an uncanny streak of good luck, finding fresh powder, sunny skies, and rooms full of welcoming, interesting people. It was impossible not to love this kind-hearted and sharp-witted gentleman, whether in a dark suit or his favorite hiking pants and Tevas. Sundays were always reserved for boisterous meals with family and friends. He was profoundly grateful, whether he got a glorious Georgia morning when he could ride his bike, play racquetball, and walk through the woods, or he got a quiet twilight on the back porch with Becky.

John is preceded in death by his daughter Amber and granddaughter Madison, and celebrated here by his wife Becky, his siblings Lee Douglas, Leslie Hurst, Lynne Miller, and Margaret Hamilton; his children Dianna, Jay, Scott, Chip, Alex, Michael, Jolanta, Esther Racioppo, and Thomas; their spouses David Burk, Angie, Caroline, Renita, Celeste, Hannah Dalia, and Arrius Racioppo; and 24 grandchildren.

Open House from 6-8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept 10 at Crowell Brothers Funeral Home, 5051 Peachtree Blvd, Peachtree Corners, GA 30092. Funeral services Friday, September 11 at 10 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 5995 Spalding Dr, Peachtree Corners, GA 30092.

In lieu of flowers, please direct any giving in John’s memory to Rising Star Outreach, in honor of his commitment to humankind and his abiding love for his wife. 

John Philip “Phil” Yowell, 72, passed away peacefully at his home in Spotsylvania, VA and entered the presence of his heavenly Father on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, following a courageous battle with cancer.

Phil was born on April 11, 1954, to John Albon Yowell and Mary Mitchell Yowell of Bealeton, VA. After graduating from Fauquier High School, Phil studied at Mary Washington College, later transferring to Davidson College in North Carolina. At Davidson he earned a bachelor’s degree in Art History.

Phil’s varied career included time spent as a dental assistant, a Christian retreat director, and an iris hybridizer. He also raised and sold vegetables at a local farmers’ market. Perhaps his most challenging and rewarding role was as an interim pastor for his church while they waited to hire a full-time pastor.

Phil had a servant’s heart and was willing to do whatever was needed for the church. His love of God’s Word led him to lead Bible studies and preach when needed. He also served in church leadership positions, and sang on the worship team. After going on his first dental mission trip to Haiti in the early 1980s, he developed a deep love for the Haitian people. This led him to participate in and lead over 30 church-sponsored short-term mission trips throughout his life. He was constantly studying the Haitian Creole language so that he could better communicate with and serve his Haitian brothers and sisters.

Phil loved admiring God’s creation, whether through hiking and camping, or his hours spent tending his beautiful flower gardens. Above all, he was devoted to his wife of 46 years, Ginny, and to his three sons and their families. He adored his ten grandchildren and they adored their grandpa. Phil was known for his humility, his willingness to serve, and his genuine love for people.

Phil was preceded in death by his parents John “Jack” and Mary Yowell. He is survived by his wife Ginny Yowell, and his three sons and their families: John & Kara (Albon, Lillian, Hope & Noel), Mitch & Beka (Carson, Natalie & Maddux) and Keith & Suzanne (Ethan, Lucas & Olivia). He is also survived by his brother Bob Yowell (wife, Tina) of Daytona Beach, FL and his sister Emily Braswell (husband, Richard) of Knoxville, TN.

A service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 27, 2026 at Grace Church of Fredericksburg, 1141 Heatherstone Dr, Fredericksburg, VA, 22407. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church and a reception will follow immediately after the service. The service will be livestreamed on https://gcofonline.org/

A private family interment will take place following the memorial service. Additional details regarding the interment will be shared with family members at a later time.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites friends to honor Phil’s legacy through donations to his Haiti mission work: https://gofund.me/96fab1800