Vernice McLean Steele

Vernice McLean Steele, 84, passed away on March 7, 2026, after a short illness in Thomasville, GA. She was born August 3, 1941, in Bennettsville, SC to the late William Coyt and Helen Story McLean. Growing up in Bennettsville, she graduated with honors from Bennettsville High School and attended Lander College. In 1958 she was crowned Miss Bennettsville.

Vernice was predeceased by the love of her life, husband Clarence Edward (C.E.) Steele, Jr. Married on July 15, 1960, she and C.E. shared 62 happy years together raising their two daughters in Columbia, SC. Vernice had many talents including interior design, flower arranging and gardening. Music was a large part of her life to include playing the trombone in her high school marching band and the Congaree New Horizons Band at USC. Vernice loved to shag to beach music, play golf and watch the sunset at Edisto Beach. She was a long-time member of Forest Lake Club and Kilbourne Park Baptist Church.

Over the years, Vernice worked in several fields from serving as legal assistant to City Attorney Roy Bates, owner of The Golf Shop, a golf and tennis boutique, and bookkeeping and designing interiors with Steven Ford Interiors.

Vernice is survived by her daughters, Whitney (Keith) Marshall of Thomasville, GA and Shannon (Jeffrey) Norton of Charlotte, NC; her brother, David (Jean) McLean of Chesterfield, SC; sister in-law Carol McLean of Boiling Springs, SC; her grandsons who lovingly called her Nitney, Michael (Kelley) Marshall of Seneca, SC, Garrett (Ashley) Marshall of Marietta, GA and Everett Norton of Charlotte, NC. She is also survived by three great grandchildren, McLean Marshall, Bennett Marshall and Caroline Marshall; and several nieces and nephews. Her brother, Vincent McLean, passed in 2021.

A service will be held on Wednesday, March 11, 2026 at 3:00 pm in the mausoleum chapel of Elmwood Cemetery. Visitation will be held at 2:00 pm one hour prior to the service in the chapel.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her honor can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Wounded Warrior Project.

Memories may be shared at www.dunbarfunerals.com.