Obituary of Thomas Center Reed, III

Thomas Center Reed III, 76, died Wednesday, October 23, 2019, at Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital.  

Born in Sumter, he was the son of the late Clement H. Reed and Miriam DuRant Reed.

Mr. Reed was a member of First Presbyterian Church.  He was the owner, operator and a licensed forester with Sumter Forest Products.

Surviving are his fiancée, Karen Ward of Sumter; a daughter, Leigh DuRant Reed of Sumter, daughter of his former wife Barbara “Bobbie” Niemeyer Reed; two sons, Thomas Center Reed, Jr. (Lindsey Graham fiancée) of Folly Beach, SC; and James Bentham Walker Reed of Sumter, sons of his former wife, Mary Edmunds Reed; a sister, Miriam “Mimi” Reed Broome (Rick) of Sumter; three grandchildren, Virginia Leigh “Gigi” Joyce, Thomas Center Reed III, Barrow Huger Reed and a nephew, Reed Watts (Mary Lee).

He was preceded in death by two daughters, Miriam Virginia “Ginger” Reed and Barbara “Ann” Reed Joyce, daughters of his former wife, Barbara “Bobbie” Niemeyer Reed, and a nephew, William Clement “Chad” Watts.

Graveside services will be held at 11 A.M. Tuesday in the DuRant-New Harmony Cemetery at the intersection of Brewington Road and I-95 with Rev. Mark Yoder officiating.

Pallbearers will be John Jones, III, John Shaw, Ross Ward, Dayton Ward, Anderson Ward, Reed Watts, Marion Moses and Sandy Sanders. 

Honorary Pallbearers will be Stuart Ward, Ben Edmunds, Frank Moses, Phil Palmer, Bill Stuckey, Jimmy Cromer, Gantt Williams, Dougie Patterson, Michael Yates, Rick Broome, Carl Croft, Bunt Wilson and John White.  

The family will receive friends from 4 P.M. to 6 P.M. Monday at the home of Karen Ward, 822 Gordonia Drive.

Memorials may be made to the DuRant-New Harmony Cemetery Fund, 1174 New Harmony Church Road, Alcolu, SC 29001.

Online condolences may be sent to www.sumterfunerals.com

Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home & Crematory, 221 Broad Street, Sumter, is in charge of the arrangements (803) 775-9386.