Charles Victor Pyle, Jr.

Judge Charles Victor Pyle, Jr., 82, died on Friday, June 2, 2017. Born on December 24, 1934, in Greenville, he was the son of the late C. Victor and Eugenia Smith Pyle. He graduated from Greenville High School in 1953, attended the University of South Carolina and received his LL.B degree in 1959 (J.D., 1970). At the University, he was a member of Kappa Alpha Order and President of Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity.

In 1959, he joined his father in the practice of law and continued until 1976 when he was elected to the judiciary. As a member of the S.C. Bar Association, he served as Chairman of the Young Lawyers Conference. As a former member of the American Judicature Society, he served on its Board of Directors, 1966-70. He served as Judge of the Greenville Municipal Court, 1965-68 and was one of five Traffic Court Judges in the United States receiving an award from the American Bar Association.

A dedicated public servant, he was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1968, served three terms, and was Vice Chair of the Judiciary Committee. In 1976 he was elected Judge of the Greenville County Court and served until 1979 when he was elected a Judge of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit. Upon his retirement in 2000 he continued to work on active retired status. During his tenure on the bench, he served as Chair of the Advisory Committee on Standards of Judicial Conduct; as Chair of the Commission on Judicial Conduct; Circuit Court Judges Advisory Committee; President of the S.C Association of Circuit Judges; as a member of the Judicial Council of South Carolina, and as a delegate to the American Bar Association’s National Conference of State Trial Judges. Among other honors and awards, he received the National Association of Counties Achievement Award 1986 for jail overcrowding measures, and he is listed in Who’s Who in American Law. On March 7, 2014, the Greenville County Bar Association honored him with an oil portrait that now hangs in the lobby of the Greenville County Judicial Center.

He was widely respected for his integrity and even-handed judicial temperament. During his tenure on the bench, he served as a mentor to young lawyers and jurists, and as a deeply loved colleague and friend to all who worked with him. Underneath his quiet and unassuming demeanor lived a man of extraordinary courage. While several high-profile cases demonstrated his willingness to do the right thing regardless of public opinion or outcry, it is his countless private acts of courage that will leave a lasting mark on the community. A proud son of Greenville, his actions, rather than words, advanced social justice and equality issues. As a member of Buncombe Street United Methodist Church, he served on its Board of Trustees (Chair, 2002-08) and was one of the teachers of the Roundtable Class. He was a former member of the Greenville Rotary Club and a Paul Harris Fellow of the club. In his spare time, he loved to spend time with family and friends, cook, travel and work crossword puzzles.

He was predeceased by his wife Johanna Wright Pyle of Columbia. He is survived by his wife Suzanne Reynolds Pyle; daughters Louisa Pyle Kirk (Adrian) of Greenville, Sarah Pyle Fay of Indianapolis, IN, son Charles Victor Pyle III (Tessa), of The Woodlands, TX; five grandchildren, Rosemary Bryson Fay, Anne Douglass Fay, Rorie Chappell Pyle, Charles Victor Pyle IV, and Sanders Wright Pyle; a sister, Haley Pyle Nations (Robert), nephew Robert Bruce Nations, Jr. (Carrie), and niece Eugenia Nations Craig; and extended family members Millie McKeown Leaphart (Ben), Sam McKeown (Paula), and Catherine McKeown Love (Les).

Burial will be at Springwood Cemetery.

A memorial service will be held at Buncombe Street United Methodist Church at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, June 7, 2017 with the Reverend Dr. Robert Howell and Reverend Grover Putnam officiating. Honorary escorts will be members of The Roundtable Class and members of the Judiciary. A reception in Sisk Hall will follow the service.

His family rejoices in his resurrection and is grateful to God for the life they shared with him.

The family requests that memorials be made to the Buncombe Street United Methodist Church Endowment Fund (200 Buncombe St., Greenville, SC 29601), the University of South Carolina School of Law Scholarship Fund (Law Center, 701 Main St., Suite 202, Columbia, SC 29208), or to a charity of one’s choice.

Visit the Mackey Mortuary online guest registry at www.mackeymortuary.com

Arrangements under the direction of Mackey Mortuary, GREENVILLE, SC.