Dunbar Funeral Home

Herbert (Herb) William Hamilton died on May 16, 2022 in Columbia, South Carolina following a battle against Parkinson's disease spanning more than twenty years. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, William (Will) Hamilton and Anne Fishburne Hamilton; his son and daughter-in-law, John Hamilton and Kara Bailey Hamilton; and his sister, Lendon Hamilton Noe, her partner, Alan Asnen, and her son, Allen Noe. He was preceded in death by his wife, Ellen Smith Hamilton, and his parents, Francis (Bud) William Hamilton and Merilyn Jane Miller Hamilton. Born in Jackson, Tennessee on March 21, 1947, his early childhood was spent developing friendships he cherished throughout his entire life....

Janette Joseph Gleaton of Lexington, SC, died peacefully at her home on May 3, with her daughters by her side. Janette was born in 1924 in Georgetown, SC, to Lebanese immigrants, Shickory Joseph and Sarah Francis Joseph. A member of the Greatest Generation, her childhood was shaped by the Great Depression. With her widowed mother and siblings, she moved to Charleston during World War Il, working on the war effort. There she met and fell in love with a young sailor, Mike Richard Gleaton. After the war and his return from the South Pacific, they married and eventually had two daughters. Janette loved her mother and siblings and the South Carolina Lebanese community, and thought her life would...

Dorothy "Dot" Parlier Spears, 85, passed away peacefully in her sleep on April 26, 2022. Dot lived an incredible life filled with family, friends and gratitude. She was an inspiration to all and a second mother to many whom admired her zest for life, dedication to family and independent demeanor. Born in Gastonia, NC, Dot knew what she wanted in life and set her goals early. Her number one goal was to create a warm and loving family. She succeeded in her goal. After graduating from Gastonia High School in 1955, Dot enrolled in beauty school. An avid dancer, Dot taught Tap, Ballet and Jazz throughout her teenage years and into her 20's. She won many talent competitions and beauty pageants...

Stan was born the eldest of 4 to Roy & Genevieve Wilson. They lived on a farm in Table Grove, a small town in central Illinois where Stan attended elementary school in a one-room schoolhouse. After graduating from VIT high school, he would go on to Monmouth College where he met Lillie (Sievers), his wife of 61 years and completed his BA. Always a numbers guy, Stan became a CPA shortly after graduating college and he and Lillie settled in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. They raised 3 sons and Stan was often coaching the boys' Little League or hockey teams. After spending 30+ years with Park Corporation in Barrington, IL, Stan & Lillie moved to Columbia, SC. Stan worked for...

Columbia, SC - Stan was born the eldest of 4 to Roy & Genevieve Wilson. They lived on a farm in Table Grove, a small town in central Illinois where Stan attended elementary school in a one-room schoolhouse. After graduating from VIT high school, he would go on to Monmouth College where he met Lillie (Sievers), his wife of 61 years and completed his BA. Always a numbers guy, Stan became a CPA shortly after graduating college and he and Lillie settled in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. They raised 3 sons and Stan was often coaching the boys' Little League or hockey teams. After spending 30+ years with Park Corporation in Barrington, IL, Stan & Lillie moved to Columbia, SC. Stan...

A funeral service for Ronald David Marple, 74, will be held at 11:30 a.m. Monday, April 25, 2022 at Dunbar Funeral Home, Dutch Fork Chapel, with burial in Fort Jackson National Cemetery at 1:00 p.m. The family will receive friends from 10:30 until 11:30 a.m. at the funeral home. Mr. Marple died Friday, April 15, 2022. Born in Pittsburgh, PA, he was a son of the late Walter Carl Marple III and Margaret Loretta Wagner Marple. He volunteered and served in the U.S. Navy in Vietnam aboard the USS Warrington. A lifelong and avid Pittsburgh sports fan, he was a Steelers season ticket holder for 25 years. He spent much of his spare time collecting all Pittsburgh sports autographs and...

Patricia Raring Heller, 94, formally of Pottsville, PA, passed away on April 14, 2022, in Columbia, SC. She was the daughter of the late Francis H. Raring and Hilda Donmoyer Raring. She attended St John Baptist Grammar School, graduated from Pottsville High School in the class of 1945. She attended Immaculata College in Philadelphia, PA and the Fisher School of Business in Boston, MA. She married James B. Heller, Jr. on August 9, 1950, at St. Patrick Catholic Church and was married 62 years at the time of his passing. She was a member of both the Pottsville and Orwigsburg Lionettes Clubs and the Orwigsburg Owls`She also enjoyed socializing as a lifelong member the Schuykill Country Club...

John Townsend Benton, 80, son of the late Ellen Legare Townsend Benton and the late William Spann Benton of Columbia died April 7, 2022 at Still Hopes. Mr. Benton was the grandson of the late Dr. and Mrs. John F. Townsend of Charleston and the late Mr. and Mrs. William S. Benton of Sumter. Born March 23, 1942, in Columbia, Mr. Benton graduated from Dreher High School and received a B.A. degree and a Master of Arts in Teaching in social studies from the University of South Carolina. While attending the university, he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Mr. Benton taught for thirty one years in public schools, including Sumter District 17 and Richland District II. He was a lifetime member...

A funeral service for Roland Edward "Ed" Brower, 63, will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, April 9, 2022, at Salem United Methodist Church, with burial in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church. Mr. Brower died Tuesday, April 5, 2022. Born in Georgetown, SC, he was a son of Carolyn Priester Brower and the late Roland Cecil Brower, Jr. A graduate of Francis Marion College, he was a longtime teacher at Tara Hall in Georgetown County and enjoyed working at the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce. Ed was an associate member of the Marine Corps League and an active member of the Lions Club in Georgetown. He was a member of Salem UMC. An avid...

COLUMBIA, SC - Helen M. Gilbert, 93, formerly of Rumford, Maine passed away on Monday, April 4, 2022 in Columbia, SC. Mrs. Gilbert was born February 10, 1929, one of seven children in Rumford, Maine to Wilfred and Viola Welton McKenna. A memorial mass will be held at Noon on May 5, 2022 at St. Athanasius and St. John Catholic Church in Rumford, Maine. Helen truly lived her life to the fullest and was a beautiful ray of sunshine to anyone she met. She loved to dance and managed to do that even using a walker in her later years. Helen believed in decorating; she enjoyed decorating her home and clothing to match the season. She enjoyed word find books, BINGO, and knitting. Helen was always...

COLUMBIA, SC A memorial service for Robert Francis Benson, 81, will be held at 4:00 p.m. Friday, April 8, 2022 at Dunbar Funeral Home, Northeast Chapel. The family will receive friends at the funeral home one hour prior to the service. Mr. Benson died Thursday, March 31, 2022. Born in New Castle, PA, he was a son of the late William and Anna Gallagher Benson. He retired as a manager at UPS and was employed by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of S.C. He was an avid Pittsburg Steelers fan. Surviving are his wife, Elizabeth Kliment Benson; sons, Robert Benson (Cheryl) of New Castle, PA; grandsons, Matthew, Nicholas, Jacob; son, Mark Benson of New Castle; granddaughters, Caitlyn, Abby;...

Born on March 19, 1928, to Theron C. and Evelyn Harris Teagle in Dooly County, Georgia, Ted Teagle died on March 28, 2022, during a brief hospital stay. He attended Rock Hill High School, but at age 15 sailed to Africa in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He served in combat aboard Destroyers, participated in the U-Boat wars of the North Atlantic, then went to the Pacific where he participated in the invasion of the Philippines, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. A member of the 1946 inaugural class of the University of North Carolina - Charlotte, Ted was a sports enthusiast who played football and basketball in high school and football in college. He was also a boxer who competed in amateur matches...

A memorial service for Charles William Casebeer, 88, will be held at 3:00 p.m. May 21, 2022 at Lake Murray Presbyterian Church, with burial in the church columbarium. The family will receive friends immediately following the service, at the Fellowship Hall at the church. Mr. Casebeer died Thursday, March 17, 2022. Born in Galva, Kansas, he was the son of the late John William Casebeer and Clara D. Kreuger Casebeer. He graduated from Pittsburg State University and retired from Nucor Building Systems. With Nucor, he had found his professional home and loved being part of opening new plants and working closing with many colleagues he considered close friends. He was an active member of Lake...

Ann Margaret Cooney, 91, passed away at home on Sunday, March 13, 2022, surrounded by her loving family. She was the wife of the late James Edward Cooney. Born in New Bedford, MA, she was the daughter of the late Emile Louis Keroack and Grace Mahoney. In 1952, she married the love of her life and happily raised her family in York, New York. She attended Boston University and later received her teaching degree from SUNY Geneseo. She moved to Sumter, S.C. in 1980, and was a devoted kindergarten teacher at Mayesville Elementary School until 1997. After retirement she focused on her numerous young grandchildren and traveled with family and friends. Ann was a pillar of strength for...

COLUMBIA, SC - Requiem mass for the Repose of the Soul of Ann Gilchrist Whitmire will be celebrated Saturday, April 2, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at The Church of the Good Shepherd (Episcopal), 1512 Blanding Street in Columbia. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service in the Church Parish Hall. She was the daughter of the late Jessie Young Gilchrist Bigelow and Thomas Allen Gilchrist. Born March 31, 1933 in Florence, she graduated from McClenaghan High School and Columbia College prior to starting work with the South Carolina Highway Department. She returned to school earning her Associate of Science in Respiratory Care from Midlands Technical College and later her Bachelor of...

COLUMBIA Frances Derrick Hutto Hammond passed away on Wednesday, March 9, 2022. She was a loving mother and friend. The wonderful friends and workers she had during her stay at The Retreat in Beaufort, S.C. and the many others who had the chance to know her would fondly refer to her as Momma Hutto, Granny or just "Grandma". Frances was born June 7, 1927 and was a true child of the depression. She felt obligated to keep everything that may or may not be of value someday and threw away nothing, which was the subject of many jokes among her family and friends. A true child of the country, she was happiest when she was able to have her hands in the dirt and enjoyed growing flowers,...

COLUMBIA, SC - Mary Elizabeth Dannerbeck, 93, passed away on Sunday, February 27, 2022 after a five year battle with colon cancer and chemo, followed by hospice care. Mary was born in Decatur, Indiana, the daughter of W.J. and Edna C. Meyers. She graduated from Decatur Catholic High School, and St. Joseph Hospital School of Nursing in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She worked as an RN in Indiana, California, and Maryland. Survivors include Francis, J. Dannerbeck, her husband of 66.5 years, a daughter, Anne Janku and husband, Christopher of Columbia, Missouri, a brother, Max T. Meyers of Decatur, Indiana, 3 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandsons. She was past president of the...

COLUMBIA, SC - A funeral service for John Anthony Norcia, 84, will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, March 3, 2022 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, with burial alongside his wife, Linda, in St. David Episcopal Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church. Mr. Norcia died Sunday, February 27, 2022. Born in Canton, Ohio, he was a son of the late Anthony Norcia and Lucille Angelina Jannelli Norcia. He was a 1955 graduate of Lehman High School in Canton, Ohio. John owned and operated Auto Electric Service Company in Canton, Ohio up until 2003. He founded Ram Automotive Company (Ram Clutches) in 1972, relocated it to Columbia, SC in 1983, working with...

Don Eaves, 91, of Chapin, SC, passed away February 23, 2022. For details, please visit www.dunbarfunerals.com.

COLUMBIA, SC - Ida Frances Dootson, 90, passed away Friday, February 18, 2022. She was born in Providence, Rhode Island. Surviving are her son, Jeffery Dootson, and her grandson, Jonathan Lawrence Dootson. She was predeceased by her husband, Eugene Dootson. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to City of Columbia Animal Services. Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel, is assisting the family. Memories may be shared at www.dunbarfunerals.com.

Betty Speer and her younger brother, Jackie, grew up on Charleston's Coming and Montagu Streets, both addresses being within easy walking distance of their father's shoe store at the corner of George and King. On school days, Betty was also able to stroll over to Beaufain Street's Memminger High School for Girls where her senior year photo was captioned with, "The best things come in small packages." A petite, yet feisty young woman, Betty met the love of her life, Andrew "Jack" Welborn, Jr. while they both were attending the University of South Carolina. She came to share not only her life with Jack, but also his love of Gamecock football and basketball. The young couple soon found a most...