Joseph Marion Husbands of Columbia, age 90, passed away peacefully on Friday, September 10, 2021 after an extended illness. He is survived by his son, Joseph Michael Husbands of Columbia, SC; his daughter, Sheila A. Husbands of Lexington, SC and his grandson, Andrew M. Husbands of Columbia, SC.
Joe Husbands was born in Johnsonville, South Carolina on January 7, 1931 in the middle of The Great Depression. He was the youngest of three sons to Eugene Max Husbands, Sr., a local banker and Carrie Haigler Husbands, a housewife and part time substitute teacher at the public school in Johnsonville and part time piano instructor. His father died when he was five. He was raised by his mother and several uncles, often spending summers on the family farm in Cameron, SC working jobs. His family moved to Columbia, SC in 1946, where he graduated from Dreher High School in 1947. He enrolled at the University of South Carolina, graduating in 1951 with a B.S. Degree in Chemistry. While there, he was also in the Naval ROTC program. He was commissioned an officer with the rank of Ensign.
Joe Husbands and the former Amelia “Millie” Evans Cannon - originally from Florence, SC - were married December 9, 1955 at the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection in Cameron, SC. Millie was the love of Joe’s life, second only to his love for Jesus Christ. They had two children, Mike and Sheila, whom they raised, nurtured and loved, supporting their school learning and extracurricular activities, attending piano recitals, band concerts, little league, cross-country, track meets and working concession stand at football games.
Joe’s Navy career of 20 years included various assignments in peacetime and war. He was assigned at age 20 to the USS Washburn, a Tolland class attack cargo ship, with its mission of diversionary landings off the North Korea coast during the Korean War. He saw action as his vessel was within a half mile of the enemy doing a feint in support of Marines. He was later assigned to destroyers, minesweepers such as USS Rankin, the USS Gherardi, USS Rowan in the Pacific fleet. In 1958-59, he was an instructor for amphibious training at the Naval Amphibious Base at Coronado, California. He was reassigned to the San Francisco Bay area where he was engineer of a stores and refrigeration ship USS Zelima, based in Oakland, CA from 1959-61. In 1961-63, he was an associate professor teaching freshman (plebes) chemistry to the midshipmen at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. One of his midshipmen in his classroom, future Heisman trophy winner for Navy and Dallas Cowboys great Roger Staubach. Joe and his family relocated to the Norfolk and Virginia Beach, VA area in 1963. His assignment as Assistant Operations Officer and member of the Admiral’s staff conducting amphibious operations in the Atlantic Fleet. In 1965-68, he was Director of Ship to Shore Training at the US Naval Amphibious School at Little Creek, VA. Then from 1968-71 Joe and family relocated to Orlando, FL. There, from 1968-71 he was Plans and Operations Officer for the entire military installation there known as the Naval Training Center. He retired from the Navy in 1971 with a rank of Lieutenant Commander, receiving an Honorable Discharge. Throughout his career, Joe was awarded many medals to include the Korean and United Nations medal with Battle Star in connection with duty off the Korean coast in 1951, and the China Service ribbon as part of the Taiwan patrol in 1956-58.
Joe pursued other interests after the Navy in Orlando to include teaching physical sciences at Trinity Preparatory School for one school year to students in 7th, 8th and 9th grades. He went into the HVAC trade and had various roles to include selling as well as distribution of air condition and refrigeration parts from 1972 to 1976. In 1976, Joe and Millie relocated back to their native South Carolina to pursue new endeavors and replant their family roots. Joe went back to school in 1979 to earn an Associate Degree in Accounting. He worked for about two years for the Department of Defense (DOD) as an auditor on temporary assignments in both Atlanta and Los Angeles. He then attained a permanent position back in Columbia as an auditor of corporations doing business in South Carolina, working for the South Carolina Tax Commission (now called South Carolina Department of Revenue) from about 1984 to 1996. He retired again in 1996. He enjoyed doing the audits in various US cities and often took Millie on some of the trips depending on the locality.
Joe loved God, his family, his country and freedom. At the age of 19 and a student at Carolina he went to the Billy Graham Crusade in 1950 at the Township Auditorium where he gave his life to the Lord during an alter call. He often taught Sunday school to 5th and 6th graders. He also volunteered serving at Trinity Cathedral as chalice bearer, usher and lector reading. He would often go out to assist a priest at Still Hopes, a retirement, assisted living and nursing care facility, administering communion to resident shut-ins. A man who loved history, Joe did docent duties giving tours to the public of the historical Trinity Cathedral.
He loved life and loved his family. A devoted husband to Millie for 58 years and loving caring dad to Mike and Sheila. A voracious reader, he never stopped wanting to learn. He loved long walks and dancing with Millie at any dance floor available. Among those - the Capital City Club and former Diane's on Devine.
He loved travelling. He and Millie travelled many times throughout Europe, Egypt, Israel and South America.
Joe is predeceased by his older brothers, Eugene Max Husbands, Jr., (1997), James “Jimmy” Haigler Husbands (1944) and his beloved wife, Millie (2013).
Joe Husbands had a full and rich life of love, duty, sacrifice and selflessness.
A celebration of his life and memorial service will be held Friday, September 17, 2021 at 2:00 pm at Trinity Cathedral, 1100 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29201. A reception of lemonade and water to follow in the Parish Hall. Additionally, the service will be livestreamed. Please see website of Trinity at https://www.trinitysc.org/.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers please send donations to the Alzheimer’s Association of South Carolina at https://www.alz.org/sc.
Rest in peace Joe Husbands.
John 14:6
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