Richard Ayer

After a long hard battle with several health issues for many years, Richard Ayer passed away on July 31, 2024, at the age of 85. Richard was born in 1938 on a farm in Ehrhardt, SC to Charlie Allen Ayer and Myrtle Florine Sease Ayer. He was the youngest son of 13 children. At the age of 9, his mother died while in childbirth and at the age of 13, his father died from heart failure. He lived with several different brothers and sisters until 1959.
On March 17, 1959, he married the love of his life, Shirley Robertson of Hendersonville, NC. Not long after they married, Richard went into the Army. He was stationed in Germany and France. While stationed overseas, his wife Shirley gave birth to their first son, Richard Mark Ayer in 1961. After Richard returned to the states in 1962, the couple settled down in Charleston, SC. Then, in 1965, the couple welcomed their second son, Keith Allen Ayer.
In 1970, the family moved to Columbia, SC. Richard installed HVAC duct work in buildings throughout the midlands, including Richland Memorial Hospital, Strom Thurmond Federal building, Columbia Art Museum, Baptist Convention Center, and The State House. He worked for F.A. Bailey and Sons, which later became Cullum Mechanical, doing construction and HVAC duct work for 42 years until a leg injury forced him to retire.
Richard started to enjoy retirement. He worked around his house and enjoyed helping his two sons work at their homes. He always was willing to lend a hand to any family member in need of help. He always stayed busy working on something. No matter what the job, Richard was always up for the task. He loved all his family more than anything. Brothers, sisters, anyone related in any way, he loved them. He loved his grandkids and enjoyed spending time with them.
In 2011 Richard was diagnosed with cancer and underwent a five-hour Whipple surgery to remove a cancer mass. A couple years later he had a hip replacement. Then he had skin cancer on his scalp. In February 2022, he fell and hit his head, and this resulted in a month of rehab. Finally due to a stroke in November 2022, and his declining health he was unable to walk. He was left bedridden for the remainder of his life.
He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Shirley Robertson Ayer; sons, Mark Ayer (Lorri) and Keith Ayer (Kim); grandsons, Jarrett, Justin, Jayden, Kaleb, Kameron, Eric David and Chris David; brother, Robert Ayer; sisters, Sara Rauth and Carolyn Jennings.
He was preceded in death by his mother and father; his brothers, Stancel, Earl, Bobby, Sonny, Lyles, James, Carl and his sisters, Mary Helen Brandt and Dorothy Lehew.
The funeral service will be held at the Mausoleum Chapel of Woodridge Memorial Park, 138 Corley Mill Road, Lexington, SC on Tuesday, August 6, 2024. Visitation will be held at 2:00 pm in the funeral home, the funeral in the Mausoleum Chapel at 3:00 pm, followed by a graveside burial with US Army honors.
Woodridge Memorial Park & Funeral Home