W.P. 'Bill' Dubose

William Perry DuBose III of Darlington, a devoted believer in His Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, passed away on December 1, 2017, surrounded by his family. Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 6, 2017, at Darlington Presbyterian Church with interment to follow at Grove Hill Cemetery, Darlington, S.C. The family will receive visitors at Belk Funeral Home, Darlington, on Tuesday, December 5, 2017, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Born August 20, 1935, to Isabel (née Pittman) and William P. DuBose Jr., he grew up in Darlington County, S.C., and attended public schools there, graduating in 1953 from St. John's High School where he was selected by the school's faculty as the outstanding male graduate. He then attended Clemson A& M College and graduated with honors, in 1957, earning a B.S. degree in entomology. While at Clemson, then a military college, he was named Best Drilled Freshman Cadet, served on the Color Guard and, during his senior year, he served as the highest ranking officer (Colonel, Wing Commander) for the U.S. Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps. He was also a member of Pershing Rifles and of Tiger Brotherhood. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U. S. Air Force. In August 1957, he married the longtime love of his life, Sarah Carrigan, of Darlington. This past August, they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. He went on to earn from North Carolina State University both a master's degree in entomology in 1959 and a doctor of philosophy (Ph. D.) degree in medical entomology in 1967. From 1959 to 1979 he served with distinction as an officer in the U. S. Air Force, ultimately achieving the rank of Lt. Colonel. In the Air Force, he held several positions of authority including serving as the Command Medical Entomologist of the U. S. Air Force for all of Europe and, finally, as the Executive Officer of all entomologists for all branches of the U. S. military. In 1979, he received an early promotion to the rank of Colonel, but turned down that promotion to retire and settle his family back home in South Carolina. On retirement from the Air Force, he became an Associate Professor of Entomology at Clemson University, in Clemson, S.C. In this position, he served a term as President of the South Carolina Entomological Society. In 1988, he and Sarah returned to Darlington, S.C., where he served as the area regional director for the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service, a position he held until his retirement from the university in 2001. A life-long professing Christian, Bill was ordained in 1976 as a Ruling Elder of the Gaithersburg (Maryland) Presbyterian Church and later served as a Ruling Elder of Darlington (S.C.) Presbyterian Church. More recently, when Darlington Presbyterian Church joined the national Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) denomination, he was named to the denomination's Theology Committee. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Darlington County Historical Society for six years and on the Board of Directors of Grove Hill Cemetery in Darlington from 1990 until his passing. He is a past president of the Darlington Kiwanis Club. He is survived by Sarah, his wife of sixty years, and by sons William Perry DuBose IV (Janet) and David Richards DuBose and by daughter, Deborah Elizabeth DuBose Daniels (Mark), and by grandsons Bradley William DuBose, Chase Carrigan DuBose, Bryan DuBose Daniels, Austin Edward Daniels, and by granddaughter Allison Elizabeth Daniels. He was preceded in death by his father, his mother, and his sister Deborah DuBose Law. Donations may be made to Darlington Presbyterian Church, 311 Pearl Street, Darlington, SC 29532 and to the McLeod Health Foundation's HOPE Fund (Helping Oncology Patients Everyday), P. O. Box 10051, Florence, SC 29502-0551.

Visitation

DEC 5. 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Belk Funeral Home - Darlington 229 West Broad Street Darlington, SC, 29532

Service

DEC 6. 2:00 PM

Darlington Presbyterian Church SC