Judge David Walker Harwell

Judge David Walker Harwell passed away on Wednesday, September 30, 2015, after a brief illness.He resided in Florence and previously lived in Myrtle Beach, SC.He was born on January 8, 1932 in Florence, SC to Lacy Rankin and Baxter Hicks Harwell, Sr. He served as Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court, Associate Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court, Resident Circuit Judge of The Twelfth Judicial Circuit and as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives. He was a member of numerous professional organizations.Upon his retirement from the Judicial Bench, he continued to actively practice law and served as a mediator and arbitrator in hundreds of cases.He was a recipient of the Order Of The Palmetto, portrait honoree of the South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association, received honorary degrees from Coastal Carolina University and Francis Marion University, and the Reid Montgomery Freedom of Information Award from the South Carolina Press Association. As an attorney, he practiced law in Florence with his brother, Hicks Harwell, at the firm of Harwell and Harwell, and was a member of numerous civic organizations. He was a graduate of the University of South Carolina Law School where he was a member of the Editorial Board for the South Carolina Law Review.He also served in the U. S. Navy. He is survived by two sons, Baxter (Teresa) Harwell of Surfside Beach and Bryan (Debbie) Harwell of Florence; four grandchildren, Carson, Sarah Nell, Walker and Mason; a sister, Anne H. Hill of Midlothian, VA; two brothers, Jim (Kay) Harwell of Florence and Joseph Harwell of Maggie Valley, NC; two sisters-in-law, Margaret Harwell of St. Petersburg, FL and Nancy Harwell of Florence, SC; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his two brothers, Lacy and Hicks; his mother and father as well as his son, David, Jr. (Little Dave) and a brother-in-law, Glenn Hill. He was affectionately known as “Judge” and was an active outdoorsman.He was particularly fond of his black lab, “Boo-Bear”. The family wishes to express its thanks to the doctors and nurses in the McLeod Hospital Coronary Care Unit, and particularly Dr. Nicolette Naso and Dr. Raj Malik, as well as Shaniqua “Pumpkin” Davis of Comfort Keepers. Family will receive friends from 12:00 noon – 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 4, 2015, at Judge Harwell’s family home, The Columns, 5001 Rankin Plantation Road, Florence, SC. A private funeral service will be held at a later time. Memorials may be made to Hopewell Presbyterian Church, 5314 Old River Road, Florence, SC 29505. Please sign the tribute wall for Judge Harwell at the obit section of www.stoudenmiredowling.com.