Tributes

Mrs. Willie Meta Calcutt Saleeby was called home on April 10, 2026. While her friends and family will miss her deeply, her life warrants great celebration. She leaves a beautiful legacy. Mrs. Saleeby is the widow of Senator Edward Eli Saleeby, Sr., and relished supporting his career. She loved to entertain and found deep joy sitting by the ocean or immersing herself in a good book. Mrs. Saleeby was a gifted storyteller and mesmerized many with her ability to captivate an audience. Mrs. Saleeby was born on September 24, 1929, in Conway, South Carolina. The love for ocean air was in her blood. She is the daughter of the late William Cleve Calcutt and Meta Jones Calcutt. Mrs. Saleeby graduated from Conway High in 1946 and graduated from Coker College in 1950 with a major in Sociology and Education. She had a bit of a rebellious streak and enjoyed a year of living on her own before she married her dear “Big Ed” on June 27, 1951. She became a member of Saint Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in 1952 and served that church in many capacities. Mrs. Saleeby loved a good cause and was always generous with her time and talents. She was active throughout the Hartsville community and state, serving on many boards and committees over the years, but there were a few that were especially dear to her heart. Mrs. Saleeby served on the Board of Still Hopes Episcopal Retirement Community, the Board of the Thad E. Saleeby Development Center, and the Board of Kalmia Gardens; taught adults how to read with the Laubach Literacy Program; and was appointed by Governor Richard Riley to the State Library Board. Mrs. Saleeby lost her vision at a young age and was a champion for the blind in SC. She served and supported the Library for the Blind. Aside from her family, Mrs. Saleeby’s proudest accomplishment was helping to organize the Darlington County Council on Aging’s Food Program, which helped feed the poor and supported the start of Meals on Wheels. Mrs. Saleeby received an honorary doctorate degree from Coker College and was a supporter and loyal member of its Alumni Association. She also won the Hartsville Citizen of the Year Award in 1991. Mrs. Saleeby is survived by her daughter, Holly Saleeby Atkins (Buddy) of Columbia, SC; daughter, Mary Kay Saleeby Bouknight (Glen) of Columbia SC; grandson, Edward Eli Saleeby, III (Ashley) of Columbia, SC; grandson, Nathan Saleeby (Crystal) of Hartsville, SC; grandson, Caleb Atkins (Savonna) of Atlanta, GA; six great-grandchildren, Wyatt, Anna, Rita, Colby, Nicholas, and Harper; as well as many special nieces and nephews. In addition to her loving parents, she was preceded in death by her sister, Mary Catherine Calcutt Hartley; husband Edward Eli Saleeby, Sr.; son Edward Eli Saleeby, Jr; daughter-in-law Donna Stanton Saleeby; and grandson, Caleb Cleveland Stanton Saleeby. The family is grateful for the loving care provided over the last several years by Melanie, Sandy, Joan, Rachel, Nique, and Denise. They provided love and support for Mrs. Saleeby and the family. Thanks also to Still Hopes Episcopal Retirement Community for many happy years. The Directors of Brown-Pennington-Atkins Funeral Home & Crematory are caring for the family. A funeral service to honor her life will be held at 2 o’clock on the 18th day of April 2026, at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, 103 Campus Drive, Hartsville, South Carolina. The Reverend William D. “Bill” Oldland will officiate, with burial to follow in Magnolia Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the graveside. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Thad E. Saleeby Scholarship Foundation, University of South Carolina, 208 Osborne Building, Columbia, South Carolina 29208: https://giving.sc.edu/ (Please designate the gift is for the Thad E Saleeby Scholarship.), or to the Thad E. Saleeby Development Center, 714 Lewellen Avenue, Hartsville, SC 29550. The family invites you to reflect on one of Ms. Saleeby’s favorite quotes by Robert Frost: “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”

Tributes

Mrs. Willie Meta Calcutt Saleeby

September 24, 1929 - April 10, 2026