Varina Comer Connell

1922 - 2023

Varina Comer Connell
October 13, 1922 - February 13, 2023
Columbia, South Carolina - Varina Comer Connell, age 100 years and 4 months, of Columbia, SC died February 13, 2023 at Heartland/ProMedica Nursing Center. She was born October 13, 1922, premature, in rural Jones County, GA to Winnie Pauline McGee and Clarence Phillip Comer. After she graduated from Jones County High School 1940, Varina attended Abraham Baldwin Agricultural Collage in Tifton, GA where she met her future husband, John Linnwood Connell.
Following Pearl Harbor, John joined the Navy and served in both the Atlantic and Pacific Theaters. They were married August 25, 1943 in Gray, GA. during a brief Navy leave and Varina returned to Georgia State College for Women (now Georgia State College University). In the spring 1944 Varina did her student teaching at Soperton, GA. In June 1944 she graduated from GSCW with a degree in Home Economics and Applied Science.
Varina began teaching career Home Economics at Hazelhurst, GA for 1944-46. After WW2, when her husband, John entered University of Georgia to get a forestry degree, Varina returned to Jones County High School, now as a teacher. She also managed the lunchroom.
John and Varina spent the summers of 1947 and 1949 on the Wasatch National Forest in Utah, where John was a recreational aide. After John graduated from the University of Georgia they moved to Hamilton County, Ga where John worked for Georgia Forestry. Varina taught Home Ec. at Waverly Hall, GA during the 1948-49 and first grade at Pine Mountain Valley, GA during the 1949-50 school year.
During the 1949-50 school year John's nephews, George Durden and Bobby Connell lived with them.
In 1950 John & Varina moved to Rocky Mount, NC when John took a job inspecting lumber for the Corp of Engineers. In 1951 Varina began teaching at West Edgecombe High School. In 1953 John went to work for the US Forest Service. John and Varina were posted to the Nantahala National Forest at Highlands, NC. While in Highlands NC, they adopted their son, John David Connell and their daughter, Varina Lynn Connell was born.
In 1957 the family was transferred to the Croatan National Forest near New Bern, NC. In 1958 they were moved to the Ozark Nation Forest in Arkansas.
In 1961 the family was transferred to Columbia, SC when John took the position of Education and Information Officer for the Francis Marion and Sumter National Forest. In 1963 the family moved to the family home on Meadowood Rd, where Varina lived for over 60 years & joined St. Michaels and All Angels Episcopal Church. Her Home Ec. background and hard work contributed to many church meals while John was a lay reader and taught the catechism classes. Their yard was the center of activity for neighborhood kids.
Varina worked as a substitute teacher until both her children graduated high school and later taught reading to new soldiers at Fort Jackson. John worked for the US Forest Service until his death in 1979.
After Varina retired she enjoyed gardening in her big fron yard, reading, grandchildren and playing bridge and talking with her bridge club members for many years. Varina outlived her dearest bridge buddies, Agnes Clawson and Mozelle Shipp.
She is predeceased by her husband John, her parents and all her 6 siblings, James Wilson Comer (Josephine), Clarence Phillip Comer, Jr (Lucille), Hugh Humphries Comer (Edna), Marie Comer Mazza (Joe) and Floyd Paul Comer. She was also predeceased by her dogs Rip, Junebug, Pippin.
She is survived by her two children, "Captain Dave" Connell of Sandy Run and Lynn C Shelley, and her husband, David N. Shelley, and grandson Christopher Jon Connell and his mother Carol Trakas of Columbia, and Weston Lee Connell and his mother Laura Barrineau and honorary grandchildren Cheyenne Barrineau & Ren Reinert Of Charleston, Varina's nieces and nephews James Mazza, Floyd Comer (Kathy), Julia (Jimmy) Simpson, Beth (Mike) Fritz, Sharon (Bill) Been, honorary nieces & nephews Ashley Burnham, Wynter (Tammy) Burriss, Wynson (Susan) Burriss, Wynette (Chuck) Gray. Also Varina and John's first little boys, George Durden and Robert Connell, Family Friends Margaret and Charlie Hill and the nurses and staff at Heartland/ProMedica Nursing Center that were Varina's care family too numerous to list that got her through Covid twice, her Agape Hospice family especially Crystal Blair that helped to the end and many other family and friends.
Varina's Celebration of Life will take place on Saturday, February 18th at 3 PM at First Presbyterian Church, Smith Chapel (Washington St at Marion St). Burial will be on Sunday, February 19th at 2:30 PM in the churchyard at St Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church. Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, is assisting the family.
Pallbearers are family and friends, Bruce Hill, Ashley Brunham, Lem Holsclaw, Charles Gray, Wynter Burriss & Wynson Burriss.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials may be made to Music Ministry of First Presbyterian Church in memory of Varina Connell or a charitable organization of your choice.
Memories and condolences may be shared at ShivesFuneralHome.com