RICHARD LEE "DICK" BEASLEY

Richard Lee Beasley DARLINGTON - Richard Lee "Dick" Beasley, 82, of Darlington died December 28, 2012. The family will receive friends on Wednesday, January 2, 2013, from 5 PM until 7 PM at Kistler-Hardee Funeral Home in Darlington. Private funeral services will be held on a later date. Mr. Beasley was born in Darlington County. He was the son of the late Jasper Wesley and Lois Long Beasley. He graduated from Lamar High School in 1947 and The Citadel in 1951. After graduating from the Citadel, he enlisted in the United States Army where he served in the 8th Regimental Combat Team in Japan and Korea. Following his military service, he returned to Lamar and began his banking career in the family business, Carolina Bank and Trust. Mr. Beasley served in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1961-1966. While a member of the General Assembly, he was instrumental in forming laws that helped his community in many ways, but none more important to him than the leadership needed to guide Darlington County through the difficult time of ending public school segregation. Following the death of his father in 1974, Mr. Beasley became the Chairman of the Board of Carolina Bank where he served until his death. It was during this time that Carolina Bank grew from one original location in Lamar, South Carolina to seventeen locations throughout the Pee Dee Area. Mr. Beasley is survived by his three sons, Richard L. "Rick" Beasley and wife Deborah of Florence, H. Wesley "Wes" Beasley and wife Julie of Florence, and David M. Beasley and wife Mary Wood, of Society Hill and a close friend, R.W. "Bubba" DeMaurice; Eleven grandchildren, Ryan Beasley and wife Sarah, Vera Herbert and husband Jamie, Jack Henry Beasley, Wesley Beasley, Megan Beasley, Daniel Beasley, Ethan Beasley, Mary Hunter Beasley, Sarah Catherine Beasley, David Beasley, Jr, and Ross Beasley; four great grandchildren, Jacqueline Herbert, James Herbert, Lilly Beasley and Beau Beasley; his sister, Belva Beasley Few of Greenwood, SC; and special friends, Wendy Freeman and Phillip Campbell. Mr. Beasley was preceded in death by his brother, Lewis Edward Beasley. Memorials are suggested to The Lamar United Methodist Church, 103 North Darlington Ave., Lamar, SC 29069.