Services will be Wednesday, May 8, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. at Shandon United Methodist Church, conducted by the pastor, The Rev. C.E. Kanipe, with burial to follow in Greenlawn Memorial Park.
Ms. Bauknight was born Oct. 12, 1935, in Columbia and was the daughter of the late Henry Manning Bauknight and Louise Forrest Bauknight.
She was a graduate of Dreher High School and the University of South Carolina School of Journalism. At USC, she was a member of Chi Omega Sorority.
Ms. Bauknight retired from The State newspaper after nearly 42 years on the news staffs of The State and The Columbia Record. She began her career on The Columbia Record in 1956 as a feature writer and copyeditor and was appointed Executive Women’s Editor of The State and The Columbia Record in 1960. She became the Copy Desk Chief for the State in 1964 and during her career also was Sunday Editor, Features Editor and Magazine Editor.
She was named Newspaperwoman of the Year in 1958 by the SC Press Association, and in 1966 was honored as Newspaperwoman of the Year by Theta Sigma Phi, journalism fraternity at USC. She received awards from the SC Press Association for editing of special sections and page design.
She served as vice president of the Women’s Division of the SC Press Association in 1960 and president in 1961.
In 1982, she was honored by The State with its prestigious Hampton Award for excellence in editing and page design. The award noted, “Her steady hand and her willingness to work long and hard outside the spotlights brand Ms. Bauknight as a true professional.”
For her high school class newsletter in 2016, she wrote with characteristic humor about her career: “My work was very interesting, very stressful and very rewarding. (Don’t include finances in that mix.) The interest came from the front seat I had watching history evolve, the stress came from meeting more than one deadline a day, and the rewards were from the newness of life every time I walked into the newsroom. I was surrounded by intelligent, colorful characters. I had just enough sense to keep my mouth shut and try to look like I was above the idiot borderline.”
Ms. Bauknight was a devoted servant of the Lord and a faithful member of Shandon United Methodist Church, where she served on the Sacristy Committee, the Worship Commission, the Evangelism Commission and the History Committee and was president of the George Huggins Upper Room Sunday School Class. She also was a Stephens Minister, a Sunday morning greeter and participant in the Disciple Bible Study series and many other Bible studies.
Surviving are her brother, Harry L. Bauknight (Dotte) of Irmo; special cousin Stanton W. Tompkins (Joy) of Ballentine; 11 nieces and nephews and 15 great nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her sister, Jeanne F. Bauknight, of Columbia.
Memorials may be sent to Shandon United Methodist Church, 3407 Devine St., Columbia, SC 29205.
Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel, is assisting the family.
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