Dannelly "Danny" Brabham

1934 - 2025

Dannelly "Danny" Brabham

April 4, 1934 - December 26, 2025

Columbia, South Carolina - Dannelly Murray Brabham, age 91, of Columbia, SC, passed away peacefully on Friday, December 26, 2025. Danny was born in Conway, SC to the late Thomas Dannelly Brabham and Hazel Johnson Brabham. He was predeceased by his beloved wife of 62 years, Mary Ann "Sis" Mayfield Brabham, in February of 2020. Danny and Sis had three children, a son Michael Brabham (Tammy Cagle) of Columbia, SC, daughter Field Brabham (Sharon Watson) of Columbia, SC, and daughter Dale Brabham Murrie (Steve Harris) of Tallahassee, Florida. He is also survived by 5 grandchildren: Daniela Huber (Darrien Patterson), Caroline Brabham, Tommy Brabham, Zoe Murrie and Watson Brabham. In addition, Danny is survived by his sister, Mary Brabham Morgan of Jacksonville, NC, sister-in-law, Bobbi Caldwell, of Winston-Salem, NC, many cousins, nieces and nephews and more friends than one can count. He was predeceased by his brothers-in-law, Dr. Kenneth Morgan and William Caldwell.

At age 6, Danny and his family moved to Georgetown, SC, where he was an outstanding student and athlete at Winyah High School. He served as student body president his senior year and played football, baseball and basketball. He was awarded The Most Valuable Gator Football Player for the 1951 season. In 2022, he authored a book detailing the history of the Georgetown Gators of Winyah High School football program. The book was his passion project and he enjoyed the renewed connections he made with his former team mates and the new friendships created by the many conversations had with others he consulted along the way.

After high school, Danny continued his football career at Newberry College. He was a three-year starter and was named First Team All State Quarterback, as well as the Columbia Touchdown Club's Small College Division Back of the Year for 1955. After serving as class president his freshman through junior years, he was named Student Body President his senior year. In 1977, Danny was inducted into the Newberry College Athletic Hall of Fame.

After graduating from Newberry in 1956 with a degree in education, Danny taught and coached at various high schools across the state. He also earned a Masters Degree in Education from the University of North Carolina in 1961. In 1968, he and his family settled in Columbia where he served as a supervisor for the State Department of Education before joining The Equitable Life Insurance Agency where he worked until retirement. He achieved a high level of success at the agency, earning recognition at the National Leaders Corps and was inducted into the Equitable Hall of Fame.

Danny loved to serve his community and held numerous leadership roles throughout his life and proudly served on the Lexington/Richland 5 School Board for 8 years. He was a long-time member of Virginia Wingard United Methodist Church, teaching Sunday school with dedication and passion for many years. He perfected the fine art of cooking for large crowds and ran the church kitchen with precision and a set of rules nobody dared to break. Danny loved to fish and spent many hours on the Black River hooking bass, catfish and bluegill. He was an avid reader and enjoyed topics ranging from sports biographies to history to politics. He and Sis were members of the Columbia Shag Club and loved showing off their dancing skills over the years. Danny was many things - devoted, determined, endlessly curious and stubborn. If he believed in something, there was no changing his mind. He loved coming up with complicated projects and was always convinced it could be figured out with enough patience and persistence.

He was a steady presence. The kind of man who showed his love through action - by showing up, helping out, and standing by the people he cared about no matter what. Family meant everything to him, and his loyalty ran deep. He cared just as fiercely for his friends, treating them like extended family and holding those relationships close.

One of his greatest gifts was his genuine interest in people. Danny truly wanted to know your story - where you came from, what shaped you, what mattered to you. Conversations with him weren't small talk; they were thoughtful, curious, and real. He listened in a way that made you feel important, remembered the details, and carried them with him.

He will always be remembered for his determination, his honesty, his stubborn streak, and the not so quiet ways he showed love every day. His legacy lives on in the lessons he taught us, the stories he shared, and the countless lives he touched just by being himself.

We will miss him deeply, love him endlessly, and are forever grateful to have called him friend, brother and Dad.

Services will be held Saturday, January 10th, at 11:00am, at Virginia Wingard Memorial UMC, 1500 Broad River Road, followed by light refreshments and visitation with the family.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Danny's honor and remembrance may be made to The Discretionary Fund at Virginia Wingard Memorial UMC.