Dr. James Daniels

James Douglas Daniels, beloved husband, father, and grandfather, died Sunday, June 10, 2007, in Columbia, SC. Mr. Daniels was born in Harmony, NC, on November 14, 1935, to the late James Carr and Rhetta Douglas Daniels. He is survived by his wife of forty-nine years, Marie B. Daniels, of Blythewood, SC; sons, Christopher James Daniels and his wife, Teri, of Columbia, SC, and Gregory John Daniels of Athens, GA; daughter, Susan Daniels Henderson and her husband, Kyle, of Cheraw, SC; five grandchildren, Christopher, Justin, and Alexander Daniels of Columbia, and Catherine and John Henderson of Cheraw; and sister, Pat McJunkin, and her sons, Jim and John McJunkin, of Statesville, NC. Mr. Daniels graduated from Davidson College in 1957 and served as a Lieutenant in the United States Army from 1958-1960. From 1961-1965, Mr. Daniels was a faculty member and coach at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, VA. After earning his Ph.D. degree in history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1968, he taught history at Valdosta State College in Georgia and served as Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences from 1970-1980. Mr. Daniels served as President and Professor of History at Coker College in Hartsville, SC, from January 1981 until his retirement in June 2002 at which time he received the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest civilian honor. Mr. Daniels was a member of the Southern Historical Association, Sigma Chi Fraternity, and Omicron Delta Kappa. He is listed in the Directory of American Scholars and was a frequent public speaker in historical, athletic, and higher education areas. He was Past President of the Greater Hartsville Chamber of Commerce, Past President of the Hartsville Rotary Club, member of NationsBank Advisory Board (Bank of America), and the Pee Dee Heritage Board. Mr. Daniels served the Presbyterian Church as a Sunday School teacher, a deacon, and an elder. He also served on numerous presbytery committees and as a Commissioner in 1991 to the 203rd Presbyterian General Assembly. He especially enjoyed preaching in churches of various denominations in the Pee Dee Region of South Carolina. Mr. Daniels enjoyed teaching, reading, collecting Presidential biographies, fishing, and following his favorite teams: the UNC Tar Heels, the Boston Red Sox, the Coker Cobras, and the Hammond Sky Hawks. While living in Valdosta, GA, he was a member of the Deep South Basketball Officials’ Association, refereeing high school and junior college games. He valued his friendships and associations with the players, coaches, and other referees. In addition, Mr. Daniels served on the board of the Valdosta Boys’ Club and coached and mentored countless boys in both football and baseball, stressing the importance of the following three things to them: God, family, and your team. A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, June 12, at 11:00 a.m. at Eastminster Presbyterian Church, Columbia, with visitation following in the parlor. A memorial service will be held that afternoon at 5:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church, Hartsville, followed by visitation in the Family Life Center. Mr. Daniels will be buried in a private ceremony at Magnolia Cemetery, Hartsville. Brown-Pennington-Atkins Funeral Home is handling the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Eastminster Presbyterian Church, Coker College, or a charity of one’s choice. The family extends sincere appreciation and gratitude to the doctors, nurses, and staff of Palmetto Health Baptist ICU for their loving care.

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Dr. James Daniels

November 14, 1935 - June 10, 2007