David Elliott Mellichamp

David Elliott Mellichamp of Columbia transitioned to renewed life peacefully in his sleep on September 12, 2023. Mr. Mellichamp was born in Summerville SC on December 12, 1942 and was the only child of the late David Sinclair and Helen Bischoff Mellichamp. He was a graduate of Dreher high school and subsequently a proud graduate of Furman University where he was actively involved in many extracurricular activities including his beloved Furman Singers.

David worked in the land title industry since 1965, two years before graduating from Furman University with a major in economics and business administration. Growing up in the business, he started working part time with his father and mother when he was 10 at Lawyers Abstract Company, a full service title agency in Columbia, abstracting titles and building/maintaining a title plant from which title exams could be conducted totally in the office to a current date of the day before. Once he moved to full time work with the agency, he continued as an abstractor and then plant manager, overseeing the transition of the plant records from and drawn grid maps of the county to the new county TMS system of identifying property. This agency was bought by Lawyers Title in 1969, where he continued as their state marketing representative and subsequently their state manager. For 10 years he owned and operated an independent title agency, Mellichamp & Associates, Inc., and was Regional General Agent for Industrial Valley Title. From 1988 to 1997 he was manager of the title agency of a major law firm with offices in six cities around the state. In 1997 he moved to Tampa, Florida to join Stewart Title of Tampa as President, and then worked with several companies in the Tampa area as a consultant in revising and developing procedures and processes to migrate to a more automated production for title examinations, title insurance and closings. Just prior to returning to South Carolina with a local title abstracting and closing service company, he set up a new full service settlement company in Atlanta as a paperless operation. He joined Whitener & Wharton, P.A. in 2006 as a Legal Assistant and then as a Paralegal with Robinson, Gray, Stepp and Laffitte from 2010 until his retirement in June of 2022.

Mr. Mellichamp taught courses on the fundamentals of Real Estate through the Department of Continuing Education at the University of South Carolina for 16 years. He is a past president of the Palmetto Land Title Association, serving also in various capacities as a director, treasurer, and committee chairperson. Mr. Mellichamp also served as an associate director of the Mortgage Bankers Association of the Carolinas and has presented numerous seminars on title examination and insurance procedures and practices for paralegals and attorneys throughout South Carolina.

Over many decades Mr, Mellichamp was an active member of Mt Tabor Lutheran Church in West Columbia. He was a lifelong, in depth student/researcher of history and religion. He was also well versed and active in the research of family lineages. He could be frequently found enjoying his free time participating in the choir and teaching various Sunday school and Bible classes at Mt Tabor.

Mr. Mellichamp was predeceased by his wife of 34 years Rita Berry Mellichamp in 2018. Mr. Mellichamp is survived by 5 children, daughter Lori (Joey) Dodson of Lake Wylie, son Ryan (Laura) Mellichamp of Irmo, son Lance Mellichamp of Columbia, son Jordan (Kristen) Mellichamp of Tampa FL, and daughter Devon (Jeff) Mellichamp of Pomaria and six grandchildren, Ally, Kaitlyn, Karley, Austin, Neely, and Rowan.

A memorial Celebration of Life for David Elliott Mellichamp will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, September 18, 2023 at Mt. Tabor Lutheran Church, 1000 B Avenue, West Columbia. The family will receive friends in the assembly room of the church beginning at 10:30 a.m.

Dunbar Funeral Home, Northeast Chapel, is assisting the family.

In Lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Furman University (designation for the Furman Singers or the David S Mellichamp Scholarship fund) - 3300 Poinsett Highway, Greenville SC 29613, or to the charity of your choosing.