Sharon Chellis Obituary

Sharon Hayes Chellis SUMMRVILLE - Sharon Hayes Chellis, 80, wife of The Honorable Mr. Converse A. Chellis III, of Summerville, SC, passed away on Saturday December 2, 2023 at the Villages of Summerville. A visitation for family and friends will be held at Parks Funeral Home from 6pm-8pm on Tuesday December 5, 2023. A Funeral Service will be held the next day, Wednesday December 6, 2023 at Bethany United Methodist Church at 2pm. Afterwards, there will be a private burial. Mrs. Chellis was born November 9, 1943 in Fort Worth, Texas, a daughter of Dorothy and Jack Hayes. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Purdue University, and her Master of Arts in Social Sciences from The Citadel. Her career began as a history teacher at Lord Berkeley Academy, where she became passionate about politics, and went on to pursue many different opportunities in the field. Among some of the highlights of her political career were being the first woman elected to the Dorchester County Council, where she served as Chairman of the Budget & Finance Committee, Codes and Zoning Committee, and the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee. She played a pivotal role in the adoption of Dorchester County's first Comprehensive Land Use Plan. She was President and Vice Chairperson of the Dorchester County Republican Women, where she established herself as a community and political leader. Her work continued in politics as the Chief of Staff for Congressman Arthur Ravenel from 1986-1994. During this time, she served as his campaign chairperson in four successful Congressional elections. She served on 2 legislative committees monitoring state and local issues for the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors and the SC Association of Realtors. She is a past member of the President's Advisory Council for the Medical University of SC, appointed by Dr. James B. Edwards. She is a past member of the Congressional Staff Club, the Board of Directors for the American Red Cross (the Low Country chapter), the Executive for the City of Charleston Trident United Way, and a member of the Board of Directors for the Dorchester County Habitat for Humanity. She also served as the Board President for the Summerville YMCA when they started the annual Flowertown Azalea Festival. She was a Board member of the Sculpture in the South and the Summerville Community Orchestra. She was a charter member of the Summerville Cotillion, and a founder of the Funco Club. In addition, she was a member of Summerville Singers, and Bethany Methodist Church where she taught Sunday School and volunteered for many years. She was a member of the Palmetto Cabinet, The National Daughters of the American Revolution, Rebecca Motte Chapter, The United Daughters of the Confederacy, Southern Cross Chapter, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, The Heritage Foundation, and the Charleston Volunteers for Literacy. She received several awards and honors including the President's Award from the National Federation of Republican Women, the Riley Institute for Diversity Leadership Fellow from Furman University in 2009, and the Life Member Order of Merit from the Chairman and the Executive Council of the Republican National Committee in 2014. After serving in politics for more than 15 years, she became a realtor and had a successful Real Estate career in Charleston and Summerville for 10 years. Survivors include her husband, Converse A. Chellis III; her sister, Sandi Bubbert of Houston, TX; two children, Tiffany Chellis Ellington (John Carter) of Florence, SC, and Converse A. Chellis, IV (Tara) of Summerville, SC; and 5 grandchildren, Mary Chellis, Carter, Kinsley, Converse A. Chellis, V. "Quin," and Hayley. She is preceded in death by her parents, Dorothy and Jack Hayes, and her sister, Jan Hayes Goodyear. Arrangements will be coordinated by Parks Funeral Home, 130 West 1st North Street, Summerville, SC 29483. www.parksfuneralhome.com. Memorials may be made to Bethany United Methodist Church of Summerville Endowment Foundation, 118 West 3rd South Street, Summerville, SC 29483.