James Dan Watford, Sr.

Funeral services for James Dan Watford, Sr., 88, will be held at 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at Wesley United Methodist Church. The Rev. Terry Martin will officiate with burial in Magnolia Cemetery directed by Brown-Pennington-Atkins Funeral Home. The family will receive friends Monday from 5-7 p.m. at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to Wesley United Methodist Church, 145 E. College Ave., Hartsville, SC 29550 or the Vera King Watford Scholarship Fund of Coker College, 300 E. College Ave., Hartsville, SC 29550. Mr. Watford died Friday, March 5, 2010. Born in Darlington County, SC, he was a son of the late Lucas Furman and Vera Inez King Watford. He was predeceased by his brothers, Furman, Ralph, and Thomas; sisters, Sarah Francis W. Hoffmeyer, Miriam W. Harvin, and Doris W. Lister. He was also predeceased by his wife of 60 years, Christine Stanton Watford, and his granddaughter, Shannon Leigh Garforth. Mr. Watford was a life long, loyal and active member of the United Methodist Church. He worshiped and served in many positions in his home church of Hartsville Wesley United Methodist Church, where his late parents also worshiped. For many years, he shared teaching responsibilities for the Jake Taylor Men’s Sunday School Class. From 1939-1985, Mr. Watford was employed with Sonoco Products Company, having served at plants in Rockingham, NC, Los Angeles, CA, City of Industry, CA, and Hartsville. His employment at Sonoco steadily progressed through increasingly responsible positions from “floor boy” in the Spiral Department, to production, to supervisor, accounting and sales, management, and a return to Hartsville in 1966 in sales and marketing management. Prior to his “official” employment with Sonoco, Mr. Watford worked as a “candy boy” during high school at the company store, walking through the mill and offices selling candy, crackers, and soft drinks. He believed he knew the name of every Sonoco employee in Hartsville at the time. Mr. Watford retired from Sonoco in 1985 as VP National Accounts-Corporate Marketing Staff, based in Hartsville. He served in the US Army from 1943-1945 as a radio instructor in the Signal Corps. As a long time resident of Hartsville, he served the community in many varied capacities. He served as president of Kiwanis in both his California and Hartsville clubs and was named Kiwanian of the Year in 1971by the Hartsville Club, of which he was a charter member; supported local Boy Scout troops and once served as district chairman of the Black Creek District and also served as a member of the executive board of the Pee Dee Area Council; served as both a vice chairman and chairman of the Board of Trustees of Byerly Hospital; past director and president of the Hartsville Country Club; past president of the Hartsville Chamber of Commerce; supporter of Kalmia Gardens, Renofest, the Billy Hardee Home for Boys and many other local and national organizations; established with his sisters the Vera King Watford Endowed Scholarship Fund at Coker College, in honor and memory of their late mother; and also served on the Coker College Board of Visitors. Mr. Watford is survived by his sister, Connie W. Ellis of Mullins, SC; son and daughter-in–law, Dan, Jr. and Linda Watford of Hartsville, SC; daughters and son-in-law, Libby W. and Bill Gabel of Hartsville, SC, Jeanne W. Garforth of Clinton, MS; 8 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren, and many loving nieces and nephews. The family would like to thank the staff at Morrell Nursing Center for their compassionate, professional care and would like to express our sincere gratitude to Christine Simon for her loving assistance for the past several years.

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James Dan Watford, Sr.

June 1, 1921 - March 5, 2010