Thomas Painter

Rev. Dr. Thomas L. Painter, 88, husband of Narvice Bowers Painter, died Wednesday, September 19, 2007, at the Tuomey Regional Medical Center.

Born in Greenville, he was the son of the late Cleveland Painter and Mary Jane Snell Painter.

Dr. Painter was twice married, first to the late Carrie Lily Batson Painter. Dr. Painter was a member of Grace Baptist Church. He attended Furman University, Southwestern Theological Seminary and Southeastern Theological Seminary. He held an honorary doctorate degree from Holmes Theological Seminary in Greenville, S.C. Dr. Painter has served in various leadership capacities with the local, state, and national Baptist associations. He has been the Devotional Pastor for the YMCA Sumter Touchdown Club for the past six years. He served as Interim Pastor at numerous local, state, and national churches. He pastored Ward Memorial Baptist, Paris Baptist, and Rocky Creek Baptist Churches in Greenville County, Kensington Baptist Church in Kensington, Maryland, Bethany Baptist Church in Wilmington, Delaware, and Doctors Creek Baptist Church in Walterboro, S.C. He served as the Senior Adult Pastor at Grace Baptist Church, Sumter and more recently as Pastor at Covenant Place in Sumter.

Surviving are his wife of Sumter; two sons, Dr. William T. Painter and wife of Sumter, Maurice L. Painter and wife of Nashville, Tennessee; one stepdaughter, Debbie Barnes and husband of Sumter; son-in-law, Paul Capell of Sumter; five grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; four stepgrandchildren; and three stepgreat-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday at Grace Baptist Church with Rev. David Richardson, Rev. Dr. James Chandler, and Rev. Charles Clanton officiating.

Burial will be in the Evergreen Memorial Park Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Richard Painter, Tommy Painter, Hayne Painter, Jim Wright, David Capell, Jason Capell, Paul Capell, Daniel Barnes, and Daniel Tapp.

Honorary Pallbearers will be members of the Sumter Touchdown Club, members of the Sumter County Ministerial Association, the staff of Tri-County Home Health, Marjorie Nettles, Clara Hinnant, Bonnie Savage, Ann Griggs and David Griggs, Dan and Dotty Lyles, Ken Turner, Rev. Harold and Uldine Kirkland, Dr. Lea Givens, and Dr. Andy Reynolds.

The family will receive friends from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday in the Fellowship Hall of Grace Baptist Church.

Memorials may be made to Grace Baptist Church Building Fund, 219 W. Calhoun Street, Sumter, SC 29150 or to the Salvation Army, P.O. Box 2229, Sumter, SC 29151 or to a charity of one's choice.

Online condolences may be sent to www.sumterfunerals.com.

Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home & Crematory, 221 Broad Street, Sumter is in charge of the arrangements (803)775-9386.