Thomas Tumbleston

Mr. Haskell Thomas Tumbleston, 80, of Walterboro, entered into rest Saturday afternoon, September 14, 2019, at the Beaufort Memorial Hospital.

Born March 16, 1939, in Colleton County, South Carolina, he was a son of the late Haskell Elonzo Tumbleston and the late Evelyn Gruber Tumbleston.  He worked a faithful career with Asten – Johnson in Walterboro, where he retired as a plant electrician.  A devoted member of Black Creek Baptist Church in Walterboro, he was active in many areas of his beloved church’s work serving many years as a Deacon and Sunday School teacher.  He also served his community in fire service.  He was a First Responder and was Chief of the Hendersonville Volunteer Fire Department as well as was a certified Emergency Medical Technician.  Thomas was an outdoorsman who very much enjoyed hunting.  He will always be remembered in the hearts of his children and grandchildren as the “master shade-tree backyard engineer” who could always fix anything.

Surviving are: his wife of sixty years, Mrs. Essie Breland Tumbleston; two daughters, Diane Tumbleston Stanley and her husband Ronnie of Varnville and Teresa Tumbleston Hiers of Harleyville; a sister, Gail T. Smith of Charleston; three granddaughters, Leah Stanley, Lydia Stanley Jarrell and her husband Glen, Hannah Hiers Hinman and her husband Cody; five great grandchildren, Skyler, Gage, Abigail, Addie, and Weston.   He was preceded in death this past July by a son-in-law, The Reverend Terry Hiers.

Flowers will be accepted, or for those that wish, the family has suggested that memorial contributions be directed in his memory to: Black Creek Baptist Church, 4931 Black Creek Road, Walterboro, South Carolina 29488.

Funeral services will be conducted at 4 o’clock Tuesday afternoon, September 17, 2019, from The Brice W. Herndon and Sons Funeral Chapel, Walterboro.  Interment will follow Black Creek Baptist Churchyard, 4931 Black Creek Road, Walterboro.  The family has requested that members of the Black Creek Men’s Sunday School Class and the Hendersonville Rural Fire Department serve as honorary escorts and their presence is requested at The Funeral Chapel at 3:30pm that afternoon.

The family will receive friends during a time of visitation this Monday evening from 6 o’clock until 8 o’clock at THE BRICE W. HERNDON AND SONS FUNERAL HOMES AND CREMATORY, WALTERBORO CHAPEL, 1193 Bells Highway, Walterboro, 843.538.5408.  Visit the registry online at: www.briceherndonfuneralhome.com.