Judson Harman Wingard

LEXINGTON – Judson Harman Wingard, 88, died Wednesday, January 11, 2012.

Judson was a hard-working, self-educated, enterprising man, who never stopped thinking about how things work and how to improve them. His career began with 3 years of tree trimming at Davey Tree Co. He served 2½ years with the Army 8th Air Force in England during World War II. He then worked for South Carolina Electric and Gas Co. for 37 years and was the District Manager of Lexington for 27 of those years. He began Wingard’s Nursery as a hobby in the 1960s and made it his (and his wife, Margie’s) full-time occupation after he retired from SCE&G. He shared his love of growing plants with his family, friends, employees and thousands of customers over the last 50 years. He also liked to farm and to fish. He was a past president of the Lexington Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Lions Club for over 50 years.

“Pa Jut”, as he has been known by his family for the last 35 years, is loved, honored and treasured by his wife of 63 years, Marjorie Hendrix Wingard; his four daughters, Gail Wingard Buff, Marilyn Wingard, Delores Wingard Steinhauser and Phyllis Wingard Bowen; his sons-in law, Wayne Buff, Wally Steinhauser, and Jeff Bowen; his grandchildren, Elliot and Kim Buff, Ryan and Julia Buff, Jesse and Perryn Freeman, Meredith Freeman, Jordan Steinhauser, Zachary Steinhauser, and Jeremy Bowen; his great-grandchildren, Delany Buff, Merrit Buff, Tempe Freeman, and Sara Freeman, and the many current and former employees of Wingard’s Nursery who knew him as a father-figure, mentor and friend.

He was the son of the late Herbert T. Wingard and Ethel Harman Wingard, of Lexington. He was a life-time member of Pilgrim Lutheran Church, where he served in many leadership capacities. His funeral service will be held there on Saturday, January 14, at 11:00 am. Visitation will be held at Caughman-Harman Funeral Home, North Lake Drive, Lexington, on Friday, January 13, from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Memorials may be made to Pilgrim Lutheran Church, 1430 North Lake Drive, Lexington, SC 29072, where they will be dedicated to a landscape beautification project at the church.