Robert Holman Obituary

Dr. Robert Evans Holman ELLOREE, SC - Dr. Robert Evans Holman, 89, died at 5:00 Wednesday morning in West Columbia, SC. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 Monday afternoon at Trinity Lutheran Church in Elloree, SC. The service will be conducted by the Rev. Mitch Evans and the Rev. Jim Kinsler. Visitation will be held Sunday afternoon from 4:00-6:00 at Trinity Lutheran Church. Bob was born near Creston, SC, the son of Robert Hawkins and Caroline Evans Holman. He spent the days of his youth on the family farm, and in Elloree and St. Matthews. A veteran of World War II, Holman served three years in the US Navy, spending more than two years before the mast aboard the USS Frost (DE 144). During Holman's service aboard the ship, the Frost received the Presidential Unit Citation for sinking five Nazi U-Boats. After the war, Bob continued his education at Wofford College, graduating with a BS in biology in 1953. He received his MD degree in 1957 from the Medical University of South Carolina and interned at the Columbia Hospital. Dr. Holman practiced family medicine in Elloree for 55 years. While a medical student, he met Patsy Allen, who was working in Charleston. Married 57 years, Bob and Pat collaborated in writing books and articles. They worked together to make Elloree a better place to live, a philosophy they shared. Dr. Holman was the author of "The Black Bog," a collection of stories about his medical practice. He was co-author with Pat of "Elloree - A Short History," written for the Elloree Centennial in 1986. Dr. Holman wrote a longtime column entitled "Dr. I.M. Practical" for the South Carolina Family Physician. Many of these columns were printed in Family Practice Physician journals in other states. He frequently wrote a guest column for The Calhoun Times and The Elloree Dispatch. He was the poet laureate for the Edisto Medical Society, and he could be counted on to produce a poem or story at every gathering. "Homeward Bound," an autobiography, was published in 2008. Dr. Holman was the founder of the Elloree Free Clinic and the Left Bank Medical Society. He was a member and past president of the Edisto Medical Society, and a member of the South Carolina Academy of Family Physicians, having served on the board of directors. Dr. Holman was an editor of the South Carolina Family Physician. He was a member of the Medical University of South Carolina Alumni Association and its former treasurer. Bob was a member of and chairman of the board of trustees of Orangeburg School District 3, as well as a member of the Orangeburg County Board of Education. Bob was a founder of the Elloree Heritage Museum. He served on the museum's board of trustees and was its first vice president. He was a faithful docent and particularly enjoyed giving tours to school groups. A lifelong Lutheran, Bob was a faithful member of Trinity Lutheran Church, where he served as a member, chairman of the church council, and an adult Sunday School teacher for many years. He was a member of the Elloree Lions Club, serving at one time as the club's president and frequent program chairman. He was a founder of the Elloree Athletic Club. After retirement, Dr. Holman volunteered weekly at the Orangeburg-Calhoun Free Medical Clinic. Governor Mark Sanford awarded Dr. Holman the Order of the Silver Crescent, the highest tribute for community service given by the State of South Carolina. Wofford College presented Dr. Holman the Alumni Distinguished Service Award for 2006. He was honored twice by the Town of Elloree, when Bob Holman Appreciation Days were held in 1985 and 2005. The new town parking lot was named in his honor 2005. Bob was a master storyteller, a lover of catfish stews and barbeques with family and friends, an amateur fisherman, gardener, carpenter, conservationist, water colorist, graffiti artist, whistler, and sidewalk consultant. He made more than 300 bluebird houses, which are spread over the Southeastern United States. Surviving are his beloved wife, Patsy; his daughters, Beth Hardwicke and her husband Fred, and Margaret Cease and her husband Carl (Dick); grandchildren, Phillip Cease and his wife Ashley, Caroline Cease, Robert Hardwicke, Linda Hardwicke, and Rebekah Hardwicke. A great-granddaughter, Liza Meade Cease, his newest princess, also brightened his final months. Theo Holman, a younger brother, preceded him in death. Memorials may be made to the Elloree Heritage Museum, PO Box 54, Elloree, SC 29047, or Trinity Lutheran Church, PO Box 487, Elloree, SC 29047. Fogle-Hungerpiller Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Visit our guestbook at www.legacy.com/obituaries/ charleston