David Lane St. John

This is not meant to be an obituary for my sweet, darling husband. It is meant to be a testimony to the wonderful husband, father & friend that he was.

David and I met in 1980 as 20-year-old college students at USC through the College Ministry at First Baptist Church We were married at First Baptist Church in Boyce Chapel in 1983. The same chapel we will be in for his Celebration of Life.

What followed was an exceptionally happy marriage & family. David always supported me & the boys in whatever job, adventure or hobby we got involved with. David could be a quiet, reserved person but he always enthusiastically supported the 3 of us.

As a husband, David was always loving, kind, tolerant & patient. We were each other’s best friends. As a father, David was loving, supportive & understanding. He was incredibly proud of our two sons, Stephen & Daniel. He loved spending time with them and when Stephen married Anne Stuart, David loved her like a daughter. When our grandson James David was born, David’s joy knew no limit. He was so excited to be a grandpa. He loved the video calls where he could make James laugh more than anyone. He treasured every minute he spent with James. The fact that David’s time as a grandpa was so short will always be painful for all of us.

As a friend, David was exceptional. When he became ill & he spent weeks in the hospital, there was a constant stream of friends visiting him. Each friend would declare that David was his best friend. Some of these men had known David for 50 years. Some much less, but they all thought David was their best friend. That is just the type of person David was. He made everyone feel special. The fact that he made everyone feel special is exactly what made him so special. He will be forever missed.

The family wishes to thank everyone for their thoughts & prayers during this very difficult time. You have given us comfort from your calls, texts, cards, visits & meals. A special shout out to the men’s group at Gateway Baptist Church. David loved these Christian men. He loved meeting with them every other Thursday at Reggie’s house. “LOVE GOD. LOVE PEOPLE. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT” is their motto. They certainly lived it out through their friendship, support & love for David.

We ask that you continue to pray for our family as we go forward. May God’s blessing be on each of you. Thank you for helping us celebrate the life of David Lane St. John.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to a charity dear to David’s heart, Make-A-Wish South Carolina (wish.org/sc)

A visitation for David will be held Sunday, May 4, 2025 at 2:00 PM at First Baptist Church of Columbia, 1306 Hampton St, Columbia, SC 29201, followed by a celebration of life at 3:00 PM.

The family invites everyone to join them at M Space at 530 Lady Street Suite A after the service. It will be a time to visit, enjoy some light refreshments and celebrate the beautiful life of David.