Born July 13, 1924, in St. George, SC, she was the daughter of the late John Slater Jennings and Jennie Stokes Jennings. She spent her childhood and adolescent years in St. George, Greenville & Charlotte; married and moved to Columbia where she and Bill raised their three children. After Bill’s death, she spent the last 13 years in Greenville living with her youngest daughter Jenni and her family. Dee was a 1945 graduate of Converse College and in 1946 received her Masters in Education from Columbia University in New York. Following the completion of her student teaching in Harlem, she returned to Charlotte, where she established the Myers Park United Methodist Church Kindergarten, serving as its first executive director.
She is survived by her three children and their spouses, Creighton Tindal Miles (Curtis) of Camden, William M. “Bill” Tindal III (Joy) of Charlotte and Jenni Tindal Bryson (Jody) of Greenville; six grandchildren, Dee Miles Blank (Neal) of Camden, Joe Miles (Natalie) of Columbia, Charlie Miles (Lauren) of Blythewood, Will Bryson (Brittany), Jennings Bryson and Ben Bryson all of Greenville; nine great-grandchildren; a brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Henry and Mary Jo Tindal of Greenville; and three generations of nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her husband, Bill Tindal; her sister, Margaret Jennings Chisholm (Mrs. Fuessel) of Greenville; and her nephew, Dr. Fred Chisholm of Greenville/Charleston.
In 1968, Dee was elected to represent the state of South Carolina as a delegate to the Republican National Convention in Miami. She spent many years volunteering for Senator Strom Thurmond and was hand-picked by Roger Milliken to serve as marketing director for Thurmond’s autobiography. She was a founder of Hammond School in Columbia (and donated a Bible for every classroom) and was the longest serving member of their Board of Trustees. She was president and treasurer of the La Premiere Investment Club (Columbia’s first women’s investment club) and an active member of Phyllis Schlafly’s Eagle Forum. Dee served as president of the Columbia Converse Alumnae Association and president of the Larkspur Garden Club. She and her husband were members of Forest Lake Club. She enjoyed selling real estate for a number of years with Oliver Wolfe and Company.
For more than 50 years, Dee was well-known and appreciated for organizing the annual “Dee Tindal New York Theater Trip,” introducing countless groups of mothers and daughters to the city she loved. She took her last group of 80 women when she was 88 years old.
Clemson University appointed her an honorary alumna of the Class of 1944, as her husband was a graduate of that class. The Class of ’44 is considered one of the most important in Clemson’s history as the entire class was called into WWII active duty. Along with her love for Clemson, she was an avid bridge player and produced beautiful works of needlepoint.
She was a lifelong member of the Methodist Church and actively supported many Christian organizations. Dee was also a breast cancer survivor.
A memorial and committal service will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 20, 2019 in the chapel at Buncombe Street United Methodist Church in Greenville with her dear friend Reverend Grover Putnam officiating.
Memorials may be made to the Buncombe Street United Methodist Church Congregational Care Ministry, 200 Buncombe St, Greenville, SC 29601.
Memories may be shared at www.dunbarfunerals.com.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18