John Carter Shurr

COLUMBIA - John Carter Shurr, South Carolina Associated Press Bureau Chief for 20 years before his retirement in 2007, died at his home Sunday morning after a brief illness. He was 67. John was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, in 1947 and was the son of Dr. Raymond Carter Shurr and Okla Gladys Dannenburg Shurr. He is survived by his widow, Debbie Ashe Shurr; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Anjay and Bill Williamson of Columbia; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Dr. Bill and Elizabeth Ashe of Charlotte; nieces and nephews, Jason Williamson, Tripp, Liza and Benton Ashe; and a number of cousins. He leaves behind Matty, a golden retriever, and two cats. John was an avid competitive tennis player and was proud to be captain of his award-winning tennis team at Wildewood Country Club. He was a member of the Cherokee Nation and served as chairman of the editorial board for the Cherokee Phoenix newspaper in Oklahoma. He also was instrumental in writing the Cherokee Freedom of Information Act. John was a competitive sailor, racing for many years in Charleston Harbor and off the S.C. coast. He was a long-time member of CORA, Charleston Ocean Racing Association. He was also a member of the Beaufort Yacht Club. He was a U.S. Navy veteran, serving on river patrol boats in Vietnam in 1967-68. He received the Presidential Unit Citation, Navy Unit Commendation, Combat Action Ribbon, Vietnam Service Medal and the Vietnam Campaign Metal with three stars. After his discharge from the Navy, Shurr attended the University of Oklahoma, graduating with a degree in journalism in 1973. Shurr’s career began as executive editor of the Oklahoma Daily, the student newspaper at the University of Oklahoma. He also worked on the Muskogee Phoenix and the Norman Transcript. At AP, he worked in Indianapolis, Ind., and Providence, R.I. He was Chicago Assistant AP Bureau Chief and Oklahoma Press Bureau Chief. He was the S.C. Associated Press Bureau Chief, from 1984-2007. Shurr received a Gavel Award from the American Bar Association for an investigation into abuses of a compensation system. He has been awarded The Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest civilian honor. Shurr was a leading force in the fight for open government in South Carolina, and in the government of the Cherokee Nation in his native Oklahoma. “I know of no journalist who has done more in the cause of open government in South Carolina than John,” said Bill Rogers, executive director of the S.C. Press Association. “It was John Shurr’s almost single-handed effort that brought about cameras in S.C. courts,” Rogers said. John was chairman of the Press Association’s FOI Committee for 23 years. “He was a tireless and effective worker for open government in South Carolina for more than two decades. His efforts have been a key part in significant improvements to the state's FOI Act, and in building the understanding of the importance of open government to both professional journalists and public officials,” Rogers said. John was also the creator and author of the “Public Officials Guide to Compliance with South Carolina’s Freedom of Information Act.” Tens of thousands of this booklet have been distributed statewide to public officials and journalists. "South Carolinians have been the beneficiaries of John’s commitment to open government without ever knowing of John or his efforts because his focus was always on the result and never on getting credit for what he had accomplished,” said Jay Bender, John’s long-time friend and admirer and attorney for SCPA. After his retirement from AP, Shurr remained an avid photographer, shooting for Sandlapper Magazine and other publications. The family will receive friends at the residence on Wednesday, March 4th from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. Funeral services will be held Thursday, March 5th at 2:00 p.m. at Incarnation Lutheran Church on Devine Street with a reception at the church following the service. A private burial at Beaufort National Cemetery will be held at a later date. Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel, is assisting the family. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the S.C. Press Association Freedom of Information Fund, 106 Outlet Pointe Blvd., Columbia, SC 29210.