Oscar "Buddy" Culp Jr.

Mr. Oscar Thornwell (Buddy) Culp, Jr., 90, of Fort Mill, South Carolina, passed away peacefully on Monday, January 18, 2016. A memorial service in celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, January 30th at 2:00 pm in the Historic Sanctuary of Unity Presbyterian Church, 303 Tom Hall Street, Fort Mill, South Carolina with Dr. Dan Holloway and the Reverend Jeannie Bickett officiating. The family will receive friends following the service.Buddy, son of the late Oscar Thornwell Culp, Sr. and Kathleen Jeter Culp, was born in Fort Mill on November 19, 1925. He attended Fort Mill High School and Clemson College before being drafted into the US Army where he served as an artilleryman in the European theater during World War II. After his honorary discharge, he was asked to join his father and uncle in their family business, Culp Brothers, Inc. where he worked for the next 70 years. Buddy was a past President of the South Carolina Oil Jobbers Association and a member of the National Oil Jobbers Association. He was one of only two South Carolinians invited to the White House by Jimmy Carter for a Presidential Briefing on the energy crisis.Buddy was very active in the local community. He served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Bank of Fort Mill, the Rock Hill National Bank, the Fort Mill Chamber of Commerce, and the York County Board of Social Services. He was a past President of the Lions Club and a charter member of the Fort Mill Rotary Club, which honored him in 1999 as a Paul Harris Fellow for his contributions to the club and the community.As a lifelong member of Unity Presbyterian Church, he served on many church committees and as a deacon and an elder.Buddy was an avid hunter and loved his bird dogs and horses. He was a field trial judge and a past president of the South Carolina Field Trial Association. In 1978, he was so proud that his dog, Streaker, was named Dog of the Year.Buddy was a devoted husband, a wonderful father and a loving “Poppy”. He was preceded in death by his wife of 57 years, Bette Bailey Culp (2010). He is survived by his daughters, Betts Culp Love of Atlanta, Georgia, Dennis Love and Alison Culp Cookson, and her husband Jim, of Gastonia, North Carolina. He will also be dearly missed by all his grandchildren, Catherine Culp Love Kraft (Kenny), Dennis McLawhorn Love, Alison Thornwell Love Seiler (John Gray), Elliott Reid Love, Cathleen Culp Beal, Giles Detwiler Beal IV, Shelton Beal Clinton (Garrison), Edward James Cookson (Cindy), Brian Robert Cookson, his first great-grandchild, Kenneth Hodgson (Hodge) Kraft III and by his beloved sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Culp Robinson of Clinton, South Carolina.The family would like to thank his wonderful caregivers, Deborah Currance, Jessica Hemphill, Patsy Jordan, the nurses and staff at the Westminster Towers Health Center and Hospice and Community Care, who all lovingly cared for him.In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Unity Presbyterian Church, PO Box 1267, Fort Mill, South Carolina 29715, or a charity of your choice.Read Obituary