James Darrell Burwell

COLUMBIA - Funeral services for James Darrell Burwell, 72, will be held at 1:00 p.m. Friday, December 27, 2019 at Eastminster Presbyterian Church. Visitation will follow in Thompson Hall at the church. Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel, is assisting the family.

Mr. Burwell passed away December 23, 2019. Born in Winston-Salem, N.C on January 16, 1947, he was a son of the late Danny Edward Burwell Sr. and Helen Marie Pappas Burwell. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from East Carolina University, Masters of Art and Masters of Public Administration degrees from the University of S.C. and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Trident Technical College.

In 1980, Jim joined S.C. Electric and Gas Company (SCE&G), the principal subsidiary of SCANA Corporation, as the director of local government. He was named manager of governmental affairs for SCE&G in 1983. In 1984, he was named manager of governmental affairs and community development for SCANA Corporation and then was named general manager, federal affairs and projects in 1997. He was named director of federal affairs in 2003. Prior to his career at SCANA, he served in the Governor’s Office as the director of intergovernmental affairs, as the Newberry County administrator and as a roving city manager for the Central Midlands Regional Planning Council. Most recently, he served as vice president of sales for Ecodas, a medical waste company in Charleston.

Jim was a past chairman of the United States Business & Industry Council (USBIC) Government Affairs Committee, the BIPEC State Legislative Committee and the South Carolina Export Consortium. He was twice chairman of the Southern States Energy Board, Utility Group. He also served as vice chairman of the Committee on Energy in the South and served on the EEI Federal Affairs Executive Advisory Commission. Mr. Burwell was awarded the Governor’s Order of the Palmetto in 1981 and 1987. In addition, he served as a state chairman of the March of Dimes and as chairman of the S.C. National Kidney Foundation. He was a member of Eastminster Presbyterian Church. He was also a member of Forest Lake Club, Camellia Ball, The Quadrille Club, Flamenco, and The Dance Club.

Surviving are his wife, Cynthia “Cindy” Fischer Burwell; their children, Brice and Carter McEntire of Columbia and their children Lawson, Cameron, Harrison; Dial Burwell of Charleston; Jim’s siblings, Juanita Saylor of Winston-Salem N.C. and her daughter Karen and Jason Bush, Danny and Phyllis Burwell of Sparta, N.C. and their children, Scott and Terri Burwell, Tim Burwell, Stephanie Burwell, Jean Daum of Raleigh, N.C. and her children, Denise and Jim Dechow, Dave and Jennifer Zidar, Daniel and Jennifer Daum, Barbara and Kurt Semar of Cornelius, N.C. and their son, Ben Semar, Joseph Burwell of Phoenix, Arizona; Jim’s brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, David and Leigh Fischer of Charlotte, N.C. and their son, Simms, George Fischer of Nashville, Tenn., Karen and George Bybee of Columbia and their children, Alex Bybee, Drew Bybee, Katie and Ryan Miller, Michael and Lindsay Loignon, Susan and Deane Pennington and Susan’s children, Maggie and Clay Mitchell, Amy and Robert Simmons, Leslie and Parker Snell.

Memorials may be made to a charity of one’s choice.