Arthur Gaston Obituary

Arthur Lee Gaston II CHESTER, SC - Arthur Lee Gaston II, 86, of Chester, South Carolina, died on Tuesday, January 2, 2024, at The Pines at Davidson, North Carolina. A fourth-generation lawyer, he practiced law in Chester for over 60 years. Mr. Gaston was born in 1937 in Florence, South Carolina, the son of the late David Aiken Gaston and Reubie Holliday Gaston of Chester. He was a graduate of Chester High School, the University of South Carolina, and the University of South Carolina Law School. He married Elaine Bury Gaston of Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1959. He then served for two years as a naval supply officer aboard USS MANLEY (DD 940), conducting operations in support of U.S. Sixth Fleet, NATO, and NASA. Admitted to the South Carolina Bar in 1963, he practiced law with his father at Gaston & Gaston in Chester. A general practitioner, he guided the firm for decades as it gained new attorneys, evolving into Gaston, Gaston & Marion, P.A., and later Gaston, Marion & Stubbs, P.A. Mr. Gaston was a lifelong member of Purity Presbyterian Church, where he chaired the board of deacons, served as a ruling elder and choir member, and taught Sunday school for over 50 years. He was a member of the Chester Rotary Club since 1963, serving as its president in 1972-1973. He was also a member of the South Carolina chapter of the Society of the Cincinnati. Active in the Boy Scouts of America since 1945, he attained the rank of Eagle at the age of 14 and served at the troop, district, council, and national levels, including as Palmetto Council President from 1988-1990 and on the National Council for BSA from 1995-2013. He received the Chester District Palmetto Award in 1983, the Palmetto Council Silver Beaver Award in 1984, and the National Distinguished Eagle Scout Award in 1994. Mr. Gaston is survived by his wife, Elaine, and their four children, Dr. David Aiken Gaston II (Laurie), Holliday (Holly) Gaston Harwood (Joe), Bennett Bury Gaston, and Navy Captain Arthur Lee Gaston III (Sally); niece, Helen Hennig Kluiters (Edward), nephew Julian (Jay) Hennig III (Sarah), 19 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 27, at 2 p.m. at Purity Presbyterian Church in Chester. The family suggests that in lieu of flowers memorial gifts be made in Mr. Gaston's honor to Purity Presbyterian Church, 135 Wylie Street, Chester, SC 29706 (www.puritypc.org) or to Palmetto Council BSA, 420 S. Church Street, Spartanburg, SC 29306 (www.palmettocouncil.org). Online condolences may be made to the family at barronfuneralhome.com.