Vivian Byerly

1931 - 2021

Vivian Byerly
September 1, 1931 - October 18, 2021
Columbia, South Carolina - Vivian Shackelford Byerly, 90, of Columbia, SC, died October 18, 2021, at home with her daughter. Born September 1, 1931, in Rowland, NC, she was the daughter of Herbert Shackelford and Ella Toler Shackelford.
Vivian was predeceased by her parents, her brother, James Giles Shackelford, and her sisters, Beatrice Stone and Rose Lee Leggett, and her niece, Betty Faye Smith. Vivian is survived by her daughter, Dena Byerly, her niece, Brenda Hall, and her nephew, Louis Ray Leggett, as well as great nieces and nephews.
Vivian knew at an early age that she wanted to be a nurse. After graduating high school, she enrolled in and graduated from the registered nursing program at McLeod School of Nursing in Florence, SC, where she trained as a student nurse. Vivian and the other students worked in the infirmary in the evenings while studying and attending classes during the day. While at McLeod, Vivian met Andrew Jackson (Jack) Byerly, and in 1952 they married. Upon graduation, Vivian and Jack moved to Hartsville, SC. Vivian's first employment as a nurse was with Byerly Hospital where she worked alongside Dr. Byerly, her father-in-law, assisting in delivering babies, performing surgeries, and providing medical care to patients. In 1957 Vivian and Jack moved to Columbia, SC. Vivian was then employed by Providence Hospital as an emergency room nurse, later a shift nurse, and eventually a managing nurse. During an expansion of the hospital, Vivian helped open the Second East wing of Providence. A nun from the hospital was sent to Vivian's house to care for her daughter while Vivian stayed and prepared the wing for opening.
From 1970 to 1996 Vivian was employed by Westinghouse Nuclear Fuel as the managing nurse in their medical department. During Vivian's twenty-six years of caring for and treating the Westinghouse employees, she grew to love them and she thought of them as her extended family. Through the years, Vivian spoke of "her people" fondly until dementia took her memory.
After retirement from Westinghouse, Vivian was employed as a Legislative nurse, and on weekends she worked for Project Readiness, a medical wellness screening program that screened State Law Enforcement officers, SC State Law Division, the SC Department of Natural Resources, and SC Highway Patrol.
Vivian spent her life in service to her community and State as a member of the South Carolina Occupation Health Nurse Association and was once honored with the Professional Occupational Health Woman of the Year award.
Vivian never lost sight of her humble beginnings on the farm in NC, and she felt her purpose in life was to help others no matter who they were or their life circumstances. She lived a simple life, and she was happiest spending time with family and friends over a good meal, a good cup of coffee, and a good dessert. She had a wicked sense of humor and an infectious laugh.
Vivian joined First Baptist Church in 1957 and she remained a life-long member. She eventually joined the church choir and continued singing for twenty-four years. She was a loving Christian with an unwavering faith in God.
In death, it was Vivian's desire that her body be donated to the Medical University of Charleston in hopes of aiding in the training and advancement of the next generation of medical doctors and advancement of medicine as a whole.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, October 30, at 11:00 am at First Baptist Church. Social distancing can be maintained. Masks will be provided for those in need of one. A reception in Ellis Hall will follow the service.
The family is grateful to Vivian's caregiver, Constance, for taking such good care of her, and to Drs. Nairn and Niak and their teams for their compassionate medical care.
Memorials may be made to the music ministry or television ministry of First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 1000, Columbia, SC, 29202.