Obituaries

Mr. Robert G. Sharpe

ANDERSON, SC -- Mr. Robert George Sharpe, Sr., age 85, of 1434 Wilderness Trail, Anderson, died Saturday, November 27, 2004 at Anderson Place.

Born in Abbeville County, S.C., he was a graduate of Clemson University, where as a non-scholarship walk-on, he made the football team becoming a three year starter at offensive center and defensive linebacker ultimately becoming captain of his team, and was named to the U.P.I. All-Bowl Team for his play in the 1940 Cotton Bowl in Dallas, TX. In later years he was honored with induction in both the Clemson University Athletic Hall of Fame and the State of South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame of which he served as a director and past President. In the 100th years of Clemson Football (1896-1996), Bob Sharpe was voted the center-linebacker on the one platoon centennial team.

Mr. Sharpe was the retired general manager of Wamsutta Mills in Anderson of which he supervised the construction and managed the operation for 18 years, following many years of textile mill management of M. Lowenstein Corporation in Columbia, SC, Wilmington, NC and Gaffney, SC.

He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Anderson, where he was a deacon, life elder, trustee, a teacher of the Men's Bible Class, and a former moderator of the Piedmont Presbytery.

He was a Commissioner of Tri-County Technical College, serving as Chairman of the Finance Committee and Secretary-Treasurer of the Governing Board and where he received the Order of Trilon Award.

Active in many civic endeavors during his career, he was a member and past President of the Anderson Lions Club, having been honored with the Melvin Jones Fellow Award by Lions Club International Foundation, was the past Chairman of the United Way of Anderson, former trustee of Anderson County School District Five, was a board member emeritus of the Salvation Army, served on the board of Governors of Southern Textile Association, and served on the boards of the Anderson Y.M.C.A., the Anderson-Oconee Vocational Rehabilitation Center, and the Greater Anderson Chamber of Commerce.

He was a U.S. Army Veteran of World War II, serving over seas for 3 1/2 years, in the North African, Mediterranean and European Theaters of Operation with the rank of Major. He was awarded four Campaign Battle Stars, the Bronze Star Medal, and the Croix de Guerre with Gold Star, one of the highest military decorations of the French Government awarded for exceptional war service rendered during the operations for the liberation of France.

Following his retirement, he did volunteer executive consulting work for the International Executive Service Corps in Third World and developing countries, assisting their industries in American Management Principles so as to improve their way of life and economic well being. He and his wife, Betty, successfully completed assignment in Lima Peru; Horonov, Czechoslovakia; Cairo, Egypt; and twice in Casablanca, Moracca.

He was the son of the late Milton Clyde Sharpe Sr. and Elise Brownlee Sharpe, and was the husband of Betty Jones Sharpe.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Irene Keith Sharpe.

Survivors in addition to his widow Betty Jones Sharpe are daughters, Ms. Melanie S. Covington of Anderson, Mrs. Nancy Nettles and her husband, Gene of Spartanburg, and son, Robert G. Sharpe, Jr. and his wife, Sherry of Greenville. He was also preceded in death by two brothers, John Brownlee Sharpe of Anderson and Milton C. Sharpe, Jr. of Marietta, Georgia. Also surviving are four step children, John B. Jones of West Point, GA., Mrs. Jennifer Hair of Bladenboro, N.C., Mrs. David (Nancy) McGregor of Anderson, and Reverend David Whitehill Jones of Brentwood, TN.; eleven grandchildren: Keith, Robert and Julia, and Charlie C ovington; Gene, Jr., Richard and Alise, Jamie and Sarah, and Irene Nettles; Emily Elise, Katie, Allison and Julia Sharpe; and one great grandson, George Covington. Ten step-grandchildren, Jessica, Brett and Bunnie Jones; Erin and James Ben Daly; Drew and Ann McGregor; Cayla, Abbie and Nathan Jones.

Pallbearers will be his grandsons, all of whom are Eagle Scouts: Keith, Robbie and Charlie Covington, and Gene, Richard, and Jamie Nettles, James Keith and Lex Sharpe.

Honorary Escort will be the Session and Men's Bible Class of the First Presbyterian Church and the Members of the Anderson Lions Club.

Following a private committal service at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, a Memorial Service will be held on Monday, November 29, 2004 at 3:00 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church with Reverend David Whitehall Jones and Dr. B.E. Pettit officiating. The family will receive friends immediately following the service in the Session Room.

The body is at The McDougald Funeral Home, where the family will receive friends from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 28, 2004.

Memorials may be made to the First Presbyterian Church Ceramic Center, 302 West Whitner Street, Anderson, SC 29624, the Salvation Army, Post Office Box 43, Anderson, SC 29622 or to a Charity of One's Choice.

The McDougald Funeral Home, Anderson, is in charge of the arrangements.

Mary H. McCluney

Mrs. Mary Hogan McCluney, 68, of 259 Beltline Road, Apt. 3-D, died Friday, November 26, 2004 at 6:30 a.m. at her residence. She was the wife of the Reverend Timouthy McCluney and the daughter of the late Barry Lee Hogan and the late Lucy Hogan McBerry.

A retired cook from Broad River Truck Stop, she was a member of Youngs Grove Baptist Church and served as a member of the Missionary and Pastor Aid Club.

She is survived by her husband, the Reverend Timouthy McCluney; daughters, Ms. Linda McFadden and Ms. Jeanette Smith of Gaffney, Mrs. Patricia Washington of Washington, D.C., Ms. Mary Hogan and Ms. Martha Hogan of Orlando, Fla.; step-daughters, Mrs. Bessie Degree and Mrs. Anita Chambers, Ms. Gladys McCluney and Ms. Sandra McCluney of Blacksburg and Mrs. Debra Gill of Fayetteville, N.C.; sons, Jessie Smith and Gene Smith of Pittsburg, Penn., and Anthony McFadden of N.C.; step-sons, Timothy Howard McCluney, Jr. and Warren McCluney of Gainesville, Fla., and Johnny McCluney of Blacksburg; twenty-seven grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren.

Foster Funeral Home is serving the McCluney family.

Willie Mae Wilkins

Ms. Willie Mae Wilkins of 106 Camellia Circle, died Thursday night, November 25th at 11:11 p.m. in Spartanburg Hospital for Restorative Care.

The daughter of Mrs. Ruth Wilkins McCluney of the home and the late David McCluney, she was a member of White Plains Baptist Church.

She is survived by her mother; one brother, Harold H. McCluney and wife Margaret of the home; an uncle, Willie Wilkins of Kimbell, W. Va.; one aunt, Mrs. Gladys Russell of Cowpens; one nephew, Harold H. McCluney, Jr. of Raleigh, N.C.; and one niece, Mrs. Sabrena McCluney of Greenville.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. at White Plains Baptist Church with the Reverend James Patton, the Reverend Kirk Smith, Dr. J.W. Sanders, Sr., the Reverend Lionell Dawkins, the Reverend Lawrence Davidson and the Reverend Lindsay Bailey officiating.

Burial follows in White Plains Baptist Church cemetery.

The family will receive friends at the church on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. thirty minutes before the funeral service. The body will lie in state at 2:00 p.m.

Foster Funeral Home is serving the Wilkins family.

Grace Cope

COLUMBIA - Graveside services for Grace Moore Cope, 83, were held Saturday, November 27, 2004 at 1:00 p.m. in Greenlawn Memorial Park. Memorials may be made to Bethel United Methodist Church Building Fund, 4600 Daniel Drive, Columbia S.C. 29206.

Mrs. Cope, wife of the late Edgar E. "Gene" Cope, died Wednesday, November 24, 2004. Born in Gaffney, she was a daughter of the late Forest Calvin and Minnie Lee Medley Moore.

Surviving are sons, Ricky A. Cope and Larry E. Cope and his wife, Anna, all of Columbia; grandchildren, Kimberly D. Cope of Columbia, Andy E. Cope and Wesley D. Cope, both of Charleston; sister, Nell Morgan of Spartanburg; and brothers Forest C. Moore, Jr. of Gaffney and Charles L. Moore of Pacolet.