John R. Steedly

John Riley Steedly died November 30, 2023 from injuries sustained in a fall. John was born December 8,1934 in Bamberg, South Carolina and resided in Lexington, South Carolina prior to the last year of his life which was spent at a VA home in Gaffney, South Carolina.

John graduated from Clemson University with a degree in engineering in 1960 and was the first recipient of a four-year track and field scholarship. He served as a Paratrooper in the 82nd and 101st Airborne Division from 1957 to 1959. John was an accomplished photographer with a focus on nature and particularly butterflies. He won numerous awards including many Fine Art Merit Awards. His photographs graced the cover of Sandlapper magazine and were also featured in Popular Photography.

John authored “My Buddy and Me“, a book he once described as “A true account of genuine love between a man and his dog“. The book described the adventures he shared with his beloved dog, Buddy, on their 16 acres named Butterfly Creek. It was there at Butterfly Creek that he married Loretta, his loving wife of 26 1/2 years. Together they shared a love for traveling the world, gardening and beekeeping. John is survived by his wife Loretta (Fry) Steedly and her children, Lisa Hintz, (Michael) of Aiken, South Carolina, Chris Fry, (Paula) of North, South Carolina, Kim Dinkins, (Rolland) of Elgin, South Carolina, Kathy Rose, (Tommy) of Waynesville, North Carolina; and 6 grandchildren, Megan New, Emerick Stone and Seth Hintz of Aiken, Rachel Fry of North, Savannah Rose of Aiken, and Sean Rose of Columbia, South Carolina. From a previous marriage survivors include two sons and one grandchild.

A memorial service will be held January 12, 2024 at 1:00 PM at Mt. Horeb Church,1205 Old Cherokee Rd., Lexington, SC 29072. Interment will be private at Fort Jackson National Cemetery, Columbia, SC.