Mr. Gerald D. Durham

Graveside services with Military Honors for Gerald D. “Bull” Durham (U.S. Navy Ret.), 82, of Columbia, will be 1:00 p.m. Friday, April 23, 2010 at Fort Jackson National Cemetery, with Pastor Harold Shirley officiating. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm Friday at Greenlawn Funeral Home.

Mr. Durham, known to his family as “Doc”, passed away on Tuesday, April 20, 2010. He was born April 5, 1928 in Henryville, TN, one of twelve children of the late Robert and Olcie Pennington Durham. He entered military service in 1948, and served active duty in Korea and Vietnam. During the Korean War, he served aboard amphibious ships evacuating French nationals. Following his military career, he was employed in sales and as a manufacturing general manager. He was a member of Newkirk Baptist Church in Rock Hill, and also was an active member of the VFW, the American Legion, and a 33rd Degree Mason with the Hejaz Shriners.

Mr. Durham was a loving and giving man, and was devoted to his family. He was always helping his neighbors and would “give the shirt off his back” to assist a friend.

He is survived by his loving wife of 54 years, Sarah Potts Durham; two daughters, Sally Donaldson (husband Baxter) and Jane Brunson (husband Charlie) both of Lexington, SC; his beloved granddaughter, Stephanie Brunson; a brother, Owen Durham (wife Fran) of Washington, PA; two sisters, Barbara Brown of Columbia, TN and Billie Ruth Gossage (husband Charles) of Nashville, TN; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by four sisters and four brothers.

Memorials in lieu of flowers may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org) or to Palmetto Health Hospice (www.palmettohealth.org/hospice). The family would like to extend special thanks to the staff of National Healthcare Parklane for the loving care they provided to Mr. Durham.