Joyce C Hearn

COLUMBIA - A family only graveside service for Joyce C. Hearn will be held at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, January 31, 2021, at Elmwood Cemetery. There will also be a livestream of the service on Dunbar Funeral Home – Devine’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/DunbarDevine/videos/428596981718928

The Honorable Joyce C. Hearn died Wednesday, January 20, 2021. Born in Cedartown, Georgia, she was the daughter of the late J.C. Camp and Carolyn Carter Camp. At age 16, she enrolled at West Georgia College, where she met her future husband, Thomas H. Hearn. She transferred to the University of Georgia and graduated with a Bachelors in Education from Ohio State University. After graduation, they moved to Columbia, South Carolina, where she taught at Eau Claire High School.

She was most proud of her service to the people of South Carolina. She entered public life working with the 1970 Census, rising through the ranks to become both North and South Carolina’s Director of the U.S. Census. She was active in the S. C. Republican Party until her retirement in 2015, working tirelessly to elect Republicans. She championed every Republican presidential candidate from Barry Goldwater to George W. Bush.

She was involved in every aspect of elective life. She began as a party volunteer in Richland County; by 1972, she was Chair of the Richland County Republican Party. From there she went into elective office, representing District 76 in the South Carolina Legislature from 1975 to 1990. In her first race, she was described by The State newspaper as a “housewife” who was just running as a placeholder until a real candidate could be found. But she was never a placeholder. In subsequent elections, The State described her victories as “landslides” or once, when she had a 40% lead over a local attorney, an “earthquake.”

For years, Representative Hearn was the only woman in the S. C. Legislature, but she was always a force that could not be overlooked. Well respected by her peers, she was named assistant minority leader from 1976 to 1978 and 1987-1989. From that position she worked tirelessly to protect the rights of crime victims. Her work to expand the prosecution of rape to include degrees of criminal sexual assault has changed the way the South Carolina public views rape, giving hope to all victims of domestic violence.

In 1990, Gov. Carroll Campbell appointed Representative Hearn to be Chairman of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission. Afterwards, at a time when many of her colleagues were retiring, she began a second career in public relations with her own company Hearn & Associates, until her final retirement in 2014.

She was a woman of many interests. She was a founder of the National Order of Women Legislators, which to this day provides a national forum for women’s networking across all state legislatures. In 1979, Gov. Edwards awarded her the Order of the Palmetto for her many contributions to South Carolina. She was active in many diverse organizations, such as the Boards of the Columbia Urban League, the Federation of the Blind, Columbia College, and many others.

She also served on the board of the Columbia Museum. Many associations named her Legislator of the Year; the Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, the S.C. Association of Disabled Citizens, and the S.C. Committee on Sexual Assault, to name a few. She received the 1985 Mothers Against Drunk Driving Distinguished Service Award for her work regarding Open Containers and raising the drinking age to 21. Representative Hearn served as chairman of the National Advisory Commission on Occupational Safety and Health.

First and foremost, she loved her family; she was a devoted mother and grandmother, always there in time of need. She also loved golfing at Fripp Island (she was an avid fan of Tiger Woods), and playing Bridge with her friends. She was a jokester and highly competitive, making every game fun for all. She was a winner at everything she did.

Representative Hearn was a member of Kathwood Baptist Church and a Sunday school regular.

Surviving are her daughters, Terri Hearn Bailey (Joseph Stan), Kimberly H. Johnson of Columbia, and C. Lee Hearn Becker (Karl) of Manassas, VA. She has six grandchildren, Carter Reston Potts, Joyce Carolyn “Josie” Bailey (Sudesh Kalyanswamy), Ruth Elisabeth “Lisa” Bailey, and Sarah Hearn Bailey, as well as Jason Thomas Becker and Daniel Gustav Becker. She was so looking forward to Sarah’s upcoming marriage to Christopher Michael Siercks on February 13.

In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her husband, Thomas Harry Hearn.

Memorials may be made to Kathwood Baptist Church, 4900 Trenholm Rd, Columbia, SC 29206.

Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel, is assisting the family. Memories may be shared at www.dunbarfunerals.com