Johnny Starnes

Johnny Fletcher Starnes, 79, of Lexington, SC passed away on February 6, 2025. He was born in Columbia, SC on October 11, 1945, to James Fletcher Starnes and Mary Rayfield Starnes. He was a man of many talents and had a heart of full of love for his family and friends.

Family was central to his life, and he loved his wife of 61 years, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren unconditionally. He worked hard to make a wonderful life for them all. He was a devout Christian and followed the teachings of Christ with a faith so strong it carried him through all things, good and bad.

He loved to go fishing and shrimping in the low country with his son and friends. He enjoyed traveling and seeing all the world had to offer. He was a member of a motorcycle group and loved to go on spontaneous and planned rides all over the southeast.

He could make and fix almost anything you could imagine. He could weld, fix cars and boats, sew and built the house he and his family lived in. He created a houseboat from scratch and scrap.

He loved to cook and he did it well. He cooked because he loved to eat delicious foods and would create recipes that took him hours to perfect. Cooking hogs on the cookers was a favorite fall season pastime.

He liked to go shagging with his wife Annette often. He was a member of the Palmetto Shag Club for many years and loved all his shagging friends. The dancing events were among some of his fondest memories.

He is survived by his mother, Mary Jacobs; his wife, Annette Starnes; his brothers, Jimmy (Anita) Starnes, Jerry (Mary) Starnes and Jack (Jackie) Starnes; children, Johnny Kyle (Karen) Starnes and Kimberly Starnes (Andy) Peake; grandchildren, Amber Walker, Alexia Peake, Brooks Walker, Amanda (Ricky) Durr, Matthew Richards and Phillip (Tesla) Richards; and his great-grandchildren, Ethan Derr, Zachary Richards, Elizabeth Richards, Mallie Dozier and Charlotte Durr.

He was predeceased by his father, James Fletcher Starnes; his brother, Joey (Gayle) Starnes, and his sister, Noreen (Floyd) Wilson.

A visitation for Johnny will be held at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, February 12, 2025 at Caughman-Harman Funeral Home - West Columbia Chapel, 820 West Dunbar Road, West Columbia, SC 29170, with a funeral service to follow at 2:00 PM. Burial will take place after the service at Southland Memorial Gardens.